At least 16 people were killed and several others injured in an exchange of fire between two rival groups in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said Tuesday.
The incident happened late Monday over the demarcation of a coal mine disputed between two groups in Darra Adam Khel tribal area of Kohat district of the province, leaving 16 people dead and four others injured, police officials from Kohat told Xinhua.
The police said that the incident occurred due to a long-standing dispute between the two tribal groups, and that several sessions of Jirga, a local tribal court, had been held to reconcile the rival tribes. However, the groups turned violent when they faced each other while working in the coal mine on Monday.
Following the incident, the police and rescue teams immediately rushed to the site and shifted the victims to a nearby hospital, according to the local media.
The police have registered a case against the culprits and started investigations.
Law enforcement agencies have taken control of the disputed coal mine, said the police, adding that some offenders fled the scene after firing, and a search operation is underway to nab them.
