WANA: The contingents of Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps moved into the troubled Cheenikhwa area of South Waziristan Agency on Friday after the killing of five people in armed clashes between two tribes.

The crossfire, which began on Thursday, killed tribal elder Malik Behram Khan, who was part of a peace jirga, and injured two officials of the political administration, including tehsildar Faiz Mohammad.

Political agent Sohail Khan told reporters in Wana that the Pakistan Army and FC had been dispatched to the area to check hostilities.

He said the security forces had captured heavy weapons and ammunitions, while a 120-member jirga had been formed to negotiate peace.

The reports suggested that the security forces had brokered a ceasefire and had been evacuating the armed tribesmen from their trenches and hilltops.

The administration launched a crackdown on the two tribes and arrested more than 12 people of Dotani and Karrykhel tribes living in Tank and Dera Ismail Khan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Officials said the arrests had been made under the collective responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation.

Under the law, the political administration can arrest tribesmen anywhere in Pakistan and seal their properties.

The officials said the dispute over the ownership of 20,000 kanals of barren land sparked armed clashes between the members of Dotani and Karrykhel tribe, a branch of Ahmadzai Wazir tribe.

They said the clashes erupted on Thursday when the talks failed between the two tribes.

The armed supporters of the tribes began firing at each other’s positions. Both sides used rocket launchers and heavy machineguns.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2018