PESHAWAR/Khyber Agency - At least 12 militants died during a shootout between rival factions in North Waziristan Agency, while two died in a separate attack.
Supporters of Tehreek-e-Taliban commander Khan Said Sajna and followers of the late TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud clashed in the Shawal area of the troubled NWA, a security official told AFP.
Four other militants were wounded during the gunfight which was still continuing, the official said late Tuesday. Local intelligence officials and militant sources confirmed the clash and casualties.
Earlier in the day, two suspected militants were killed and another sustained injuries in an explosion at a bazaar in Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan Agency.
The explosives planted by militants in a car parked at vehicles’ stand in Miranshah bazaar exploded early in the morning. The car was destroyed completely and two persons were killed. A man was also injured in the blast.
Reports said it was a time device which was fitted in a car parked at the bazaar and went off with a bang. At the time of explosion, there was not so much rush in the market.
Unconfirmed reports said those targeted in the blast were members of TTP Punjab. Another report, however, said those killed were local tribesmen.
The dead bodies and the injured were rushed to Miranshah Hospital. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
Soon after the blast, security forces cordoned off the area. It merits mentioning here that at least five people were killed in a roadside blast on April 30 at Ladha tehsil of South Waziristan Agency.
Meanwhile, at least two volunteers of Tawheedul Islam (TI) Zakha Khel peace militia were killed and three others sustained injuries in a roadside blast in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency on Tuesday.
The IED bomb planted by militants at a roadside in Mustak area of Tirah Valley exploded when it was hit by a pick-up carrying armed persons of TI. Those killed in the blast were identified as Arafat and Karnail, sources said.
The three wounded - Wahid, Janib and Lal Din - were shifted to nearby health center where their condition was stated to be stable, sources added.
The vehicle was also damaged in the attack. It is to be mentioned here that Tawheedul Islam and Lashkar-e-Islam outfits have been active in the area and targeting one another positions for the hold of more area in Tirah Valley.