LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), July 14: At least nine people have been killed and five injured in renewed fighting between two rival religious factions in the remote Tirah valley of Khyber Agency.

According to officials of the Bara political administration, clashes between Lashkar-i-Islam and Ansaar-ul-Islam took place in the Sanda Pal area where armed activists of Lashkar-i-Islam attacked some positions of their rivals on Friday.

A fierce battle took place in which the two factions used both light and heavy weaponry against each other. The supporters of Lashkar-i-Islam wanted to take control of some important hilltops which the Ansaar had tactically vacated prior to the Lashkar attack.

In the counterattack by Ansaar activists, 13 people died, said independent sources. But official sources said they could only confirm the killing of eight Lashkar men and one Ansaar supporter. The fierce battle continued until Friday evening.

Sources said that Lashkar-i-Islam men retreated from the area after inflicting heavy casualties. With the cessation of fighting, a tense calm prevailed in the area with most of the area residents contemplating moving out of the area for safety.