MIRAMSHAH: Sixteen people were killed in clashes between rival Taliban groups in Shawal area of North Waziristan tribal region on Tuesday.

Sources said the clashes started in the morning after an attack by militants belonging to the Khan Said alias Sanja group on positions of Shehryar group and continued intermittently till late night.

They said both sides used light and heavy weapons, including rockets and mortars.

Another source claimed that the two groups had been attacking each other’s positions for three days.

The fighting between the two groups claimed over 50 lives in April. Several important militants, including Amir Hamza of the Sajna group and Kashid Mehsud of the Sheryar group, were among the dead.

Meanwhile, two people were killed and two injured in a bomb blast in Zafar town of Miramshah on Tuesday.

The dead and the injured belonged to the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.