KHAAR, July 26: A tribal jirga failed on Monday to have seven Afghan tribesmen released as the Salarzai tribe of Bajaur Agency sought two more days from the political administration to set the hostages free.

The Salarzai tribe living on both sides of the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan had clashed over a dispute about the levy of additional tax on the export of timber from Kunar, Afghanistan.

Four people, two from each side, had died in an exchange of fire between the two sides near the Letai Sar checkpoint in the Afghan territory a couple of days ago, while several others were injured. The two groups had also taken hostage 12 people.

Officials of Bajaur Agency and the Kunar administration had initiated efforts to get the hostages released and resolved the dispute. But the Bajaur Salarzais refused to free the Afghans and sought two days to review the situation.

Sources said the Bajaur tribesmen had told the jirga that they would not release the Afghans unless the Kunar tribes returned their money invested in getting forests on lease.