According to authorities, an altercation between two opposing factions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one of Pakistan's northwestern province, resulted in the loss of sixteen lives and multiple injuries due to an exchange of gunfire.
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On the late hours of Monday, in the Darra Adam Khel tribal region within the Kohat district of the province, the confrontation started due to the demarcation of a coal mine.
According to statements of police official from Kohat, the conflict resulted in the loss of 16 lives and left 4 people injured.
The police said that the event occurred because of a long-standing dispute between the two tribal groups. Furthermore, numerous sessions of Jirga, a tribal court system prevalent in the region, were held in an attempt to facilitate a reconciliation between the opposing groups. Nonetheless, the groups resorted to hostility when they encountered one another whilst undertaking their duties in the coalmine.
According to local media reports, law enforcement and emergency response personnel immediately arrived at the transported the affected individuals to a medical facility in proximity.
The authorities have initiated a legal proceeding against the individuals responsible and have commenced with investigative procedures.
Law enforcement agencies have established authority over the coalmine, said the police, adding that some transgressors fled after discharging firearms, and a pursuit is currently underway to apprehend the culprits.