PESHAWAR, Nov 1: Police have confirmed that 14 houses were set on fire as a result of an old enmity between two families in the Miana Doag Dara village in Upper Dir 18 days ago.

A spokesman for the NWFP police has clarified the position of the Miana Doag Dara incident, terming it a result of an old enmity between two groups of relatives.

The spokesman, in an official statement, said that Malakand DIG Attaullah Wazir visited the area along with the local police and took stock of the whole situation.

The spokesman said that Adam Khan, father of proclaimed offender Mohammad Khan, and Baz Mohammad Khan, father of proclaimed offender Mehmood Khan, residents of Miana Doag Dara, were first cousins.

The feud between them started when Baz Mohammad Khan killed Adam Khan over a dispute on construction of a road.

In this connection an FIR was registered with police station, Sharingal. Later, one Khanzada, brother of Mehmood Khan, killed Mohammad Anwar and Bacha Wali of Mohammad Khan group and a case was registered with the same police station.

The spokesman added that on April 17, Mohammad Khan along with other members of his group was travelling in a vehicle when Mehmood Khan, accompanied by his group, attacked the former, killing five and injuring three persons of Mohammad Khan group.

One person of Mehmood Khan group was also killed and an FIR registered with police station, Sharingal, in this connection.

The spokesman said that on Oct 14, Mohammad Khan group fired at the mud house of Mehmood group from the peak of a nearby rock.

As a result, a young daughter of Toor Khan (proclaimed offender), Aasia, was slightly injured and 14 mud houses of Mehmood group were gutted. An FIR of the incident was registered with the police station, Sharingal, the same day.

The spokesman clarified that so far five persons of Mehmood Khan group had been killed and a young girl injured. While, six persons of the Mohammad Khan group had been killed and three injured.

Four persons each of the two groups are proclaimed offenders at the moment.

The police spokesman claimed that the widely published hue and cry of the Mehmood Khan group is, by and large, based on imagination.