At least 16 people were killed in Pakistan on Monday after a clash broke out between two tribes over the delimitation of a coal mine in Darra Adamkhel Kohat.
The dispute took place between the Sunnykhel and Zarghun Khel tribes over the mine’s delimitation in the Darra Adam Khek region of Kohat district, around 35 km southwest of Peshawar, earlier on Sunday, news agency PTI reports.
According to news reports, 14 people were killed on the spot after Sunikhel and Akhorwal tribed engaged each other. A Kohat Police spokesperson said that the dispute between the groups, both part of the hill community of Bulandari, happened on a mountain range where they assembled to talk. Lives were lost as it took a violent turn, ANI quoted the police as saying. Police reached the spot and took the situation under their control. They said it is a long-standing dispute between the two tribes.
The root cause of the territorial dispute is the contested ownership of a piece of land. Such disputes are common in tribal areas in Pakistan, where land ownership is not always clear-cut. The lack of a proper land registry system, combined with the complex tribal structure, can lead to conflicts that result in violence and tragic losses.
The conflict has caused concern among the local authorities, who have sent representatives to the area to broker a peace deal. The authorities are working with the tribal elders to resolve the dispute and restore peace. The situation remains tense, but efforts are underway to prevent further violence.
