PARACHINAR, May 22: A gunbattle between rival groups in Kurram Agency left 10 people dead and 20 injured on Sunday.

According to witnesses, small contingents of the army and paramilitary forces backed by tanks and artillery moved to Balishkhel and Sadda and attacked positions of armed tribesmen on the nearby hills.

Sadda, the tehsil headquarters of Lower Kurram, is under curfew.

Clashes erupted at a time when negotiators carrying millions of rupees were holding negotiations for the release of 31 hostages held by a group of tribesmen.

A Taliban faction based in North Waziristan was negotiating with the kidnappers and a breakthrough was being expected.

Militants kidnapped the tribesmen after attacking a passenger convoy going from Peshawar to Parachinar on March 26. Three passengers were killed on the spot and another seven later.

According to reports, tribal elders of Balishkhel and Sadda had agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday and hoisted white flags on their positions. One person had been killed on Friday night.

Residents of Balishkhel accused their rivals of violating the ceasefire and launching an attack with rockets and guns on Saturday night. They said militants who had infiltrated into the area were behind the clashes.

A man of Kurram Levies was also killed. Armymen from Parachinar and paramilitary personnel from Arawali Fort rushed to Balishkhel and Sadda to enforce the ceasefire.

They retrieved six bodies. — Hussain Afzal