PESHAWAR: At least six people were killed in a clash between militants and members of a local pro-government militia in Pakistan's Khyber tribal district on Thursday, officials said.

The area close to the border with Afghanistan has been plagued by fighting between armed forces and militants tied to the Pakistani Taliban, and fresh fears of unrest caused more than 18,000 people to flee the district last month.

Four members of a local peace committee, or pro-government militia, and two militants were killed during an exchange of fire, senior local administration official Rehan Gul Khattak told AFP.

“Militants with Lashkar-e-Islam (Army of Islam) attacked a patrol of the local peace committee, which triggered a gunfight in Akakhel area,” he said, adding that the more than 30 militants escaped following the attack.

Local intelligence officials confirmed the incident and casualties.

Pakistan's army has previously launched a series of offensives targeting the Lashkar-e-Islam, a Taliban-allied militant group waging a local insurgency.