Eight tribesmen and a young girl were killed in separate incidents in Balochistan on Sunday, including an armed attack in Qila Abdullah and a clash in Dera Bugti, officials said.
In the first incident, a senior police official said that a group of armed men entered the Killi Badawan area and began firing on their opponents, which resulted in the death of four tribesmen and a young girl.
The four tribesmen died on the spot after receiving multiple bullet injuries, while the young girl succumbed to her wounds when taken to Quetta for treatment. The official added that before fleeing the area, the armed men fired “hundreds” of bullets in the air.
A heavy contingent of police and law enforcement agencies reached the site of the incident and launched an operation to trace the perpetrators.
Police said the armed attack stemmed from an old enmity as the aggrieved party had killed six persons of the attackers some time ago. One of the attackers was also quoted as declaring on the spot, “We have taken revenge today”.
Later, the attacked tribe briefly blocked the Quetta-Chaman highway, staging a protest with the bodies and demanding the arrest of the armed assailants.
However, Qila Abdullah Deputy Commissioner Manzoor Magsi and the assistant commissioner held successful negotiations with the protesters, following which the traffic was restored after several hours.
In another incident, two rival factions of the Bugti clan exchanged fire over a marriage proposal in Dera Bugti.
“Armed men of both groups took position with automatic weapons and opened fire against each other,” a senior police officer told, adding that four people were killed from both sides and another was injured.
The injured were shifted to the district hospital. A heavy contingent of law enforcement personnel was deployed in the area to prevent further clashes.
Separately, at least three young girls were killed and four other family members injured after a suspected quadcopter-dropped explosive struck a house in Nargassai (Sui Khela) area of Azam Warsak tehsil in Lower South Waziristan late Saturday night, according to police.
Police on Sunday said the house belonged to local resident Muhammad Gul, also known as Bagal of Dinwar sub-clan of the Wazir tribe.
The explosion caused extensive damage to the house, destroyed household belongings, and killed eight goats.
The deceased were identified as 15-year-old Meenka Bibi, 9-year-old Gulnaza Bibi and 6-year-old Bashrobana.
The injured were identified as Mazla Bibi, 13-year-old Khatir, 4-year-old Naqeeb and 22-year-old Gul Zadeen. They were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Wana where hospital officials said they received immediate medical treatment and are out of danger.