32 killed in armed clashes between 2 militant groups

At least 32 people were killed and over a dozen others injured on Friday during the ongoing fierce clashes between two militants groups in northwest Pakistan, local media reported. Local media quoting official sources said that the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Ansarul Islam (AI) militant groups were fighting for their control in the Tirah Valley of the Khyber Agency, Pakistan's northwestern tribal region bordering Afghanistan. The clashes started between TTP and AI militants in Maidan village of Tirah Valley on Friday morning that continued till the evening. The official sources feared that the death toll was likely to surge as the battle had not ended yet. The fighters on both sides have been using heavy weapons including grenades, rockets and mortar shells along with automatic guns. There have been no words from militant groups involved in the skirmishes. The clashes between different militant groups were also witnessed in the past in the same region, especially, between TTP and local small faction Lashkar-e-Islam (LI). The dominant and powerful group of TTP targeted the people of LI twice with two separate suicide bombings during the last two years, killing over two dozen people and injuring many others, according to reports.