LOWER SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Six people, including a police constable and station house officer (SHO), were injured when an argument over shop ownership and financial dealings led to an exchange of fire between the rival groups at the Toi Khullah market in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower South Waziristan on Thursday.

Wana Circle Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Asghar Ali Shah told Dawn that the incident took place at around 9am when “a disagreement between two groups over monetary transactions and shop ownership turned into a heated argument”.

“The situation quickly escalated into a physical altercation and subsequently into an armed confrontation,” he said.

The DSP said that upon receiving the information about the incident, SHO Qutab Khan Dottani of the Toi Khullah police station,along with a police party, reached the site of the incident.

“While trying to mediate between the rival groups, the SHO and a police constable came under fire and sustained injuries,” the DSP said, adding that SHO Dottani had sustained a bullet wound in the leg but was out of danger.

Meanwhile, injured constable Bahra Khan sustained a minor head injury.

Both were shifted to the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital in Wana for treatment.

The DSP said that among the four other injured, Juma Gai and Alauddin — who are brothers — sustained bullet wounds in their legs. Another injured person, Hazrat Ali, sustained a bullet wound in the abdomen and was reported to be in serious condition, he said, adding that a man identified as Khudai Noor also suffered an injury in the leg in the incident.

All the injured were shifted to the DHQ hospital Wana.

DSP Shah said police had registered a case of the incident and initiated an investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident, while efforts were under way to identify and arrest those involved in the clash.