At least six people have been killed in armed clashes between members of two rival villages in a remote district of Pakistan.

The authorities in Kohat District of North-West Frontier Province say the situation has taken a serious turn as the two villages are dominated by members of the rival Shia and Sunni Muslim sects.

Paramilitary troops have been deployed in the area to avert the threat of sectarian violence.

Officials say the trouble started on Thursday because of a longstanding territorial dispute between the two villages belonging to the rival tribes.

The situation went out of control on Friday when the armed tribesmen from the two sides decided to fight it out.

During the day-long armed clashes, the rival villagers used rocket-propelled grenades and mortar guns against each other.

Officials said three people from each side were killed and several more injured.

A large number of houses were also destroyed before the paramilitary troops moved into the area to disengage the warring sides.

Although the warring tribesmen belong to the rival Muslim sects of Sunni and Shia, senior administration officials insist it was a territorial dispute and not a religious clash.

However, they said the situation was still very tense and had the potential of taking the form of a widespread sectarian clash.