August 12, 2008	Tuesday	Sha'aban 9, 1429

PARACHINAR, Aug 11: Eleven people were killed and 16 others were injured in clashes between rival tribes in the Kurram region on Monday.

Sources said fierce clashes were taking place between the warring factions in Bagzai village of Lower Kurram, after Turi tribesmen besieged several houses.

The area is located near a Frontier Corps base.

The sources said a heavy exchange of fire was going on and residents had shifted women and children to safer places.

Armed men set on fire about 100 houses of the rival tribe near Bilyameen.

Thick smoke was billowing from the burning houses.

Locals said that eight people were killed and 13 others were injured in the gunbattle in Lower Kurram on Monday, raising the death toll to 30 from three days of clashes between Turi and Bangash tribes.

Political authorities sent tribal elders to end hostilities, but they failed to broker a ceasefire.

Paramilitary forces at their bases in Alizai and Arawali, near Bilyameen, did not intervene to prevent clashes.

The sources said that Turi tribesmen had linked a ceasefire with reopening of the Thall-Parachinar road and cessation of hostilities between the residents of Tari Mangal and Piwar, Upper Kurram where three people were killed in fresh clashes.

The road between Thall and Parachinar had been blocked since November last, causing severe shortage of food, medicines and fuel.

The blockade had forced people of Upper Kurram to make a detour to Afghanistan to reach Peshawar from Parachinar.