PARACHINAR, Dec 24: Clas-hes were reported from some hitherto peaceful areas of the Kurram Agency on Monday.

Sources said that five people were killed and several others injured in Balishkhel and Sadda areas of the Lower Kurram Agency, raising the death toll in renewed incidents of violence to 15.

Local people said that a large number of families had left their homes and moved to other places. Rival groups were attacking each other’s positions with heavy weapons in Alizai, Makhizai, Enzeri, Jindari, Tangai and Shashu. Several houses were destroyed in Balishkhel on Sunday night by violent mobs.

Doctors said that nine injured people had been brought to a hospital in Sadda and 11 were admitted to a hospital in Parachinar.

Sources said that a peace jirga constituted by NWFP Governor Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai had failed to broker a truce between warring factions and it went back to Hangu on Monday. Though the government had replaced the Political Administrator, there was no visible let-up in violence and people of rival sects were involved in ransacking each other’s property.—Correspondent