HARIPUR/NOWSHERA: Armed groups clashed in Haripur and Nowshera areas on Wednesday leaving 11 people, including five brothers, dead.

Two Afghan groups traded fire in Chandani Chowk Khalabat Township of Haripur over a power and water bill dispute in Padahna refugee camp. The exchange of fire killed seven people, including three brothers. Eight people, including two passersby, suffered bullet and dagger wounds.

Both the deceased and injured were Afghan refugees.

The police said the Haibat Shah and Behram Khan groups were at odds over the collection of utility bills and their members had heated exchanges several times. They said the two groups attended a jirga on Tuesday evening but the dispute remained unresolved.

Witnesses told the police that Haibat Shah, his two brothers and some other family members were standing outside the Khalabat Township post office on Wednesday morning when Behram Khan and his group’s armed members showed up.

Members of both groups exchanged blows and attacked each other with sticks, daggers and arms leaving five of them dead and 10 injured. Bodies and the injured were shifted to the Haripur Trauma Centre, where two injured died.The traders closed shops in panic as the two groups exchanged fire.

The police arrested nine attackers and began investigation.

They also tightened the security of Trauma Centre and Padahana Camp fearing attacks by rival groups.Also in the day, two brothers, their uncle and a passerby died as two groups traded fire over a property dispute in Camp Koroona of Akbarpura area in Nowshera.

The police said the incident occurred as the two groups were on the way to a local court for hearing into the dispute.

The deceased included brothers Zahid Anwar and Syed Anwar, rival group’s Arshad and passerby Mohammad Ayaz, while the injured were Rabnawaz and his sons, including Shahid Nawaz and Haq Nawaz.

The police registered FIRs against gunmen of both groups and began investigation.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2020