HARIPUR, Nov 2: Three persons, two of them brothers, were killed and three others injured on Tuesday when cousins clashed over a land ownership in Ghazi Tehsil, some 48km from here. Two of the injured were said to be in critical condition at Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad.

Ghazi police said that Sadaqat s/o Jamshed of village Jaloo Maira was ploughing a piece of land when his cousin Riaz s/o Mir Afsar reached the fields along with his three sons to stop him from work, as the dispute over ownership of the property was yet to be settled.

They said that following exchange of hot words the two groups opened fire on each other. As a result, three persons, including two brothers, were killed on the spot while three others sustained bullet injuries.

The bodies and injured were taken to tehsil headquarters hospital, Ghazi, from where two injured Dilfraz s/o Mir Afsar and Jamshed were referred to Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad in critical condition.

Those killed were identified as Sheraz and Qaisar, sons of Mir Afsar, and Rafaqat s/o Abdul Aziz. The third injured namely Sadaqat was admitted to THQ Ghazi, but he is said to be out of danger.

LAWYERS' BALCK-DAY: To condemn the removal of 60 judges of higher judiciary under the provisional constitutional order (PCO) by then president General Pervez Musharraf in November 2007, the lawyer fraternity across Hazara division will observe black day on Wednesday (today), said Saeed Akhtar Khan advocate, president High Court Bar Association (HCBA), Abbottabad bench, here on Tuesday.