Total death toll from the clashes between the two groups on Monday and Tuesday has climbed to 24. Briefing journalists here at Governor's FATA Secretariat, Additional Secretary, Security, Tribal Area, Sikandar Qayyum, said that 16 people, out of 19 killed on Tuesday morning, were Afghan nationals.
The injured included two children and a woman.
He said that the government has directed law enforcement agencies, including Frontier Corps and political administration, to take action against the miscreants and establish the writ of the government at all costs. In this connection, he said, NWFP Governor Khalil-ur-Rehman also held a meeting, which reviewed the situation and decided that both means of political solution and action would be taken simultaneously.
The Governor said that such incidents would not be tolerated. "All those who will challenge the writ of the government in such a manner would be dealt with an iron hand and would be brought to justice." He said that Commander Frontier Corps had been directed to take action against the miscreants.
The funeral of the 5 persons killed on Monday was held in a tense atmosphere and that of 19 was in progress.
Sikandar said that the residents residing in one km radius of the headquarters of Mufti Munir Shakir Group have been directed through political administration to vacate the area and the law enforcement agencies have been told to take action against the miscreants.
He said that the clashes took place between the groups headed by 'Mufti' Munir Shakir and 'Pir' Saif-ur-Rehman. The two groups were in clash with each other since November last year due to some personal causes.
Both groups were running FM radio stations, not used for religious teaching but for making accusations against each other.
Sikandar said there was no religious motive behind the activities of the groups and they fighting for their personal grudges against each other.