PESHAWAR: Four people were killed in an exchange of fire which followed an attack on spectators watching a football match between two local teams in the playground of a school in the Alizai town of Kurram Agency on Wednesday.

According to eyewitnesses, two men tried to attack around 2,000 people watching the final match between the teams of Parachinar and Alizai in the football ground of the Government High School in the town, some 37km east of Parachinar, the administrative headquarters of the tribal agency.

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There were conflicting reports about the incident. Political Agent Amjad Ali Khan told newsmen in Parachinar that seeing the two men, who appeared to be wearing suicide vests, approaching the playground Levies Force personnel signalled them to stop but they opened fire. The Levies personnel fired back, killing both men on the spot.

But some residents said the attackers had started firing soon after reaching the ground and one of them blew himself up, when tribesman returned fire. One of them, Mohammad Najjb, told Dawn that the other attacker lobbed a hand-grenade when he was chased by people.

Panicked by the attack, the spectators ran for cover, the resident added.

He said Siraj Hussain, an employee of a government hospital in the town, and a person identified as Hamid Hussain died in the exchange of fire. Muharrir of the office of the political agent Hashim Khan and two other people were injured.

Sources said that some militants who had escaped from Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency in the wake of the ongoing military operation there had taken refuge in parts of Kurram.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2015

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