PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Jan 26, (Agencies): Two Islamic militant groups clashed Saturday over control of a prized valley in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 24 people and wounding dozens more, officials said.
Arshad Khan of the Khyber tribal region said the fighting between the two Islamic militant groups began Friday in Tirah valley, near the Afghan border, when the militant group, Tehrik-e-Taliban, captured the base of another militant group, Ansarul Islam. Ansarul Islam tried to retake the base and fighting continued into Saturday.

The Pakistani military has been battling a stubborn insurgency in northwest Pakistan in rugged tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.

The remote valley, tucked in mountainous terrain, is highly valued by militant groups as a base of operations. It’s difficult for the Pakistani military to enter the area, which allows militants easy access to Afghanistan and other tribal areas of Pakistan.

Most of the dead were militants, but some local tribesmen also were killed, according to a Pakistani military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to disclose the information to the media.

In Baluchistan province in the south, government troops have been waging a longtime struggle against Baloch nationalists, who demand a greater share of income generated from mineral and gas resources there.

Meanwhile, dozens of armed men raided a pro-government tribal militia post in the southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan on Saturday, killing one man and abducting five, officials said.
The early morning raid took place in Dera Bugti district, about 400 kms (250 miles) southeast of the provincial capital Quetta, they said.

“Armed men believed to be several dozens attacked the post and whisked away five members of the tribal force in their vehicles after forcing them to surrender,” provincial chief secretary Akbar Durrani told AFP.

One man who resisted was shot dead by the assailants, he said.

Local administration chief Syed Faisal Shah confirmed the raid, saying security forces had been rushed to the area and a search operation had been launched.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

The government set up a lightly armed tribal force, known locally as a peace force, to help security forces tackle militant violence in the region.

Baluchistan is rife with Islamist militancy and home to a regional insurgency which began in 2004. The insurgents demand political autonomy and a greater share of profits from oil and gas resources.

The province has also become a flashpoint for sectarian violence between Pakistan’s majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shiites, who account for around 20 percent of the country’s 180 million people.
Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf earlier this month sacked the provincial government in Baluchistan after meeting Shiite Muslim protesters demanding protection after a huge bomb attack that killed 92 people.