Shoot-Out: Rival groups kill four in Kohistan

KOHISTAN: Four people including a man and his two sons were killed when two rival groups exchanged fire in Palas village on Tuesday morning. Both parties were close relatives and had developed differences over the murder of a girl, police stated. Palas police told that Muhammad Sairi and Abdul Qayum’s families were close relatives and belonged to the same tribe – Shakankhel. Qayum’s daughter was married to one of Sairi’s sons. The woman was allegedly murdered by her husband last year in a suspected honour killing. However, Qayum contested the statement of Sairi and his family and had warned them of exacting revenge for the murder of his daughter. On Tuesday morning, Qayum chased the Sairi group and opened fire at them near Palas Police station, killing Sairi and his son Muhammad Ilyas on the spot, while his other son, Gulzada, sustained critically injuries and died en route to Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad.Eyewitnesses and the police said that someone from Sairi’s group fired back at Qayum, killing him on the spot.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2016.