PARACHINAR, April 9: Despite a truce reached between rival groups, fierce fighting continued in different parts of the Kurram Agency on Monday. A senior government official said that force could be used as a last resort to stop clashes.

Political Agent Sahibzada Mohammad Anees said the truce brokered in many areas of the region with the help of tribal elders failed to quell clashes in far-off areas. “We have engaged elders from both the sides to broker a ceasefire and the administration will use force as a last resort,” the political agent said.

He said that a ceasefire had been brokered between the rival factions in Boshara-Malikhel, Bagan-Alizai and Shalozan-Mingal areas, adding that jirgas were in progress to stop fighting in these areas. The political administration imposed a curfew in Parachinar on Friday.

Sources said the rival groups were targeting each other’s positions in Sadda-Ibrahimzai and Kirman-Parachamkani areas of the agency. They were using heavy weapons and targeting residential areas.

In Alizai a shell hit a government office, killing a security guard.

Residents said some people had opened fire in Dandar localities of the city on Sunday night, but no casualty was reported. A large area of the agency is without electricity.

Officials said the four-day conflict had left 21 dead and 53 wounded. But the locals and hospital sources said the toll had risen to 33. Hospitals have received 150 wounded persons, of which condition of 10 was serious but they could not be shifted to Peshawar due to road blockade.

Meanwhile, Corps Commander Lt-Gen Mohammad Hamid Khan visited Parachinar on Monday and directed the authorities concerned to take all measures to stop lawlessness in the area, said an ISPR a press release issued in Peshawar.