By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: At least nine people were killed and nine others injured in two separate armed clashes linked to an alleged long-standing feud and a land dispute in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday, prompting police to launch investigations into both incidents.
In the first incident, five people, including a woman, were killed during an exchange of gunfire between two rival groups near Wanda Haji Gul on Manjiwala Link Road, within the limits of Lakki City Police Station in Lakki Marwat district.
Police said preliminary investigations indicate the violence was the result of a long-running family or tribal feud. The dead included one man and one woman from one group, while three members of the rival group were also killed in the shooting.
Rescue 1122 teams recovered the bodies and shifted them to the District Headquarters Hospital in Lakki Marwat for medico-legal formalities.
Police sealed off the area, collected forensic evidence and began investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Officials said inquiries were continuing to establish the sequence of events and identify those responsible.
In a separate incident, four people were killed and nine others injured in a violent clash over a disputed piece of land in the Neki Khel area of Landi Kotal, Khyber district.
According to police, the dispute escalated after members of one group allegedly began cutting trees on the contested land. The opposing side objected, leading to a heated argument that quickly turned into an exchange of heavy gunfire.
Four people died at the scene, while the injured were taken to nearby hospitals. Several of those with serious injuries were later referred to Peshawar for further treatment.
The violence caused panic in the area, with residents remaining indoors as police and rescue teams secured the scene and deployed additional personnel to prevent further clashes.
Police said separate investigations were underway into both incidents and that legal action would be taken against those found responsible.
The district administration urged the public to resolve disputes through legal means rather than violence, stressing that those involved in the bloodshed would be held accountable under the law.
