Islamabad, Pakistan - At least 53 people were killed in fresh sectarian clashes in Pakistan's tribal district of Parachinar bordering Afghanistan, officials said Sunday.
"A fierce gunfight broke out between Malikhel and Makhazai tribes late on Friday night and it continued until dawn, killing some 53 people," a local administration official who insisted on anonymity told DPA by phone.
There was no official confirmation of the toll.
Members of the Shiite sect settled in Malikhel area launched a midnight raid on Sunni-dominated Makhazai village where the locals were anticipating an offensive in the wake of recent clashes that had killed more than 100 people, the local official said.
Shiites account for 20 percent of Pakistan's Sunni-dominated population of 160 million, but are in the majority in Parachinar.