MIRAMSHAH, March 29: Tension mounted in this tribal agency when two elders of the Gurbaz tribe were kidnapped by some Hassankhel tribesmen in Mirali town over a property dispute here on Sunday.

The two Gurbaz elders, identified as Haji Maulak and Haji Salmeer, were taken to Hassankhel village at gunpoint where they were confined to a house, sources said.

The reason behind the kidnapping was stated to be a land dispute between the two tribes living along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the agency.

The people belonging to both the tribes occupied hilltops and shifted their heavy weaponry to attack each other. The possible bloodshed was only avoided after a local jirga effected an agreement, binding both the tribes not to fire a shot until they negotiated for the release of the two kidnapped elders, sources said.

Reports received from border villages indicated that US aircraft and helicopters violated Pakistan's air space several times during the past 24 hours.

Several US aircraft crossed into Pakistan's air space during the day and the previous night, flying very low over positions held by the Gurbaz and Hassankhel tribesmen on the nearby hilltops, the sources said.

Sources said these aircraft and helicopters had intruded into the tribal area close to the Miramshah town, headquarters of the North Waziristan Agency. A Gurbaz tribesman told this correspondent that the American forces engaged in the search operation in the Afghanistan territory opposite the Waziristan tribal agency had offered them cooperation in their dispute against the Hassankhel tribe.

He, however, said that the Gurbaz elders had rejected the offer which he claimed included supply of weapons and other material assistance.

Other reports suggested that a convoy of 40 military truck was involved in the search operation across the border in the Afghan territory. The sources said that several hundred American and coalition troops were taking part in the operation.

Meanwhile, the political administration of North Waziristan Agency has initiated action against the Hassankhel tribe under Section 40 of the Frontier Crimes Regulation.