Nine dead in Pakistan religious clash

Nine people have died in clashes involving Sunnis and Shias in a tribal region in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan, according to local officials.

The tribal areas are largely autonomous

Ten people have also been injured in the clashes which took place near a religious shrine worshipped by both sects.

A newspaper report said a six-year old girl was among those killed.

The clashes, which began on Tuesday night over access to the Mian Ziarat shrine in Kelaya, south of Peshawar, have now died down.

Ceasefire

The provincial home secretary, Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, told the BBC that a tribal "jirga" or council had succeeded in brokering a ceasefire around noon (local time).

However, the head of Orakzai tribal agency in the area, Aftab Ahmed Durrani, said the combatants were still occupying their hilltop positions.

Tribal elders were trying to persuade them to abandon their positions so that reconciliation talks could start.

Access blocked

The trouble is reported to have begun when Shias complained they were denied access to the shrine during the recent Eidul Fitr celebrations at the end of Ramadan.

The Sunnis say the Shias were beating drums and engaging in other provocative acts.

The Shias argue that they have had unlimited access to the shrine as long as they can remember.

The two heavily-armed sides began sporadic exchanges of fire, with fighting resuming on Friday morning.

Heavy weapons such as mortars, missiles and rocket-launchers were being used

The local administration ordered roads leading to the area to be blocked to stop reinforcements from reaching the combatants.

The Orakzai tribal agency is governed through a British-made political system that gives unprecedented autonomy to the tribes.

It has suffered from sectarian violence in the past.