Casualties as rival Khost tribes resume clash

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): An armed clash between two tribes --Mangal and Moqbil -- over a land and mountain ownership dispute has caused casualties on both sides in southern Khost province, sources said Wednesday.

The clash also involving heavy weapons erupted between the two tribes on Tuesday.

Provincial officials did not provide information about the clash, but local people provided contradictory reports.

A tribal elder from Mangal tribe, Falak Khan, told Pajhwok Afghan News two people from their side were slightly injured but he was unaware about casualties to the other side.

Javid, another resident of the area, said four people were killed and four others injured on Moqbil side. But some sources said eight people of Moqbil tribe were killed in the clash.

The fight is still ongoing between the two sides. Cap. Abdullah, spokesman to the first battalion of Afghan National Army (ANA) forces in Khost, said that security forces had reached the conflict area.

He said it was police responsibility to stop the fight but ANA soldiers had been sent there to cooperate with police. He said security forces also came under fire in the area.

The two tribes have a long history of their dispute over a land and a mountain located between Musakhel and Nader Shah Kot districts.

Earlier, a delegation of 83 people from capital Kabul was sent to Khost for resolving the problem, but they failed to ease the situation.

mds/ma