PESHAWAR, July 12: Paramilitary forces used artillery fire on Friday to break up heavy fighting between two tribal clans in Pakistan’s northwestern region bordering Afghanistan, officials said.

The warring sides were using surface-to-surface missiles, rocket launchers, mortars and light weapons against each other, local officials said adding that at least five people had been killed on Friday.

The identity of the victims was not immediately known, officials said adding that a paramilitary trooper was also wounded in the conflict between fighters from the Dawar and Wazir tribes.

With the fresh outbreak of violence, blamed on a land dispute, officials said at least 1,000 local villagers had fled the area, adding that 12 people had died in similar clashes last week.—AFP