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23 April 2024

Clashes in Pakistan leave five dead

Published
By Agencies

 

Militants attacked tribesmen in troubled northwestern Pakistan leaving five dead and 20 wounded in the ensuing clashes, an official said Thursday.


Syed Alam Khan, a government administrator, said the fighting began late Wednesday in the Kurram tribal region. The two sides continued to exchange fire Thursday while authorities sought help from local elders to impose a cease-fire, he said.

The Kurram tribal region is near Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier province, which borders Afghanistan. Militants from one group in the area, Lashkar-e-Islam, have launched an unofficial anti-vice campaign to enforce Taliban-style Islam.

The group is headed by Mangal Khan, who is being sought by the Pakistani government, which - under pressure from the United States - has been fighting pro-Taliban and pro-Al Qaida militants in the border regions. Kurram also has been the scene of violent sectarian clashes between majority Sunni and minority Shiite Muslims. (AP)