KABUL: Armed clashes between two tribes over the ownership of a mountainous area along the border of Khost and Paktia provinces in Southeastern Afghanistan continued for the fourth day on Monday, local media reported.
The clashes erupted between the members of the Bori Khail tribe from Khost’s Spira district and the Giyan Khail tribe from Paktika’s Giyan district, Afghanistan's leading Khaama Press Agency reported.
Citing local reports, it said light and heavy weapons were used by both sides during the confrontation, raising concerns over further escalations in the long-running land dispute.
The disputed mountain is located between Spira and Giyan districts, according to local residents. The area is covered with forests, including valuable pine nut trees, which they said have intensified disagreements over ownership, access and control of the land. For decades, the dispute has resulted in armed confrontations.
“Shah Mir Khan, a resident of Spira district, said that previous clashes over the mountain had caused significant casualties, claiming that around 80 people had been killed or injured in earlier incidents linked to the dispute. The figure could not be independently verified,” stated Khaama Press.
Radio Hurriyat, a media outlet close to the Taliban, said that the clashes had entered their fourth day, and released footage of a person allegedly firing a mortar towards the opposition positions. The authenticity of the footage was not verified independently.
Hurriyat also reported that to prevent further escalation and to separate the two sides, Taliban forces had been deployed to the area.
“The mountain dispute is rooted in competing claims of historical ownership by the two communities. Local accounts say tensions over the territory have continued for generations, with disputes frequently linked to access to natural resources and grazing or forest areas,” the report detailed.
According to Radio Hurriyat, the broader dispute has continued for almost 80 years and over 250 people have been killed from both sides over the decades.
–IANS
