TIMERGARA, Feb 6: Residents of two villages in the Khal area clashed over a piece of land in a forest, witnesses said on Tuesday.

They said that the people of Marengai and Mahango Dargai occupied hilltops and started firing on each other’s positions.

A fierce gun battle continued all day and the villagers used modern weapons, they said.

They said that the fighting broke out on Monday night and continued till the filing of the report.

The villagers said that the dispute over the ownership of the forest in the Tormang Darra area was old and a number of jirgas in the past had failed to resolve it.