Over a dozen terrorists were killed in intense clashes between the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its breakaway faction, TTP-Jamaatul Ahrar (JuA), as tensions escalated between commanders of the two groups in Kurram tribal district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to sources.

The deadly fighting in the Manato area of Central Kurram reportedly erupted after a decision by the TTP Central Shura to take disciplinary action against certain commanders of the JuA faction.

Sources said the clashes began when JuA fighters were allegedly asked to surrender their weapons or comply with directives issued by local TTP commanders.

The infighting is believed to have left 19 JuA fighters dead, while three TTP members were also killed, the sources claimed.

Sharing further details, sources stated that a jirga had been convened to defuse rising tensions and resolve the dispute. However, the situation worsened when firing broke out between the two factions during the tribal assembly itself.

Meanwhile, the JuA has vowed to avenge the killings and has circulated images of its slain members on social media, according to sources.

In a separate development, security sources said that during a recent military operation in the Shawal and Spinwam areas of North Waziristan, a senior terrorist commander identified as Jan Mir alias Tor Saqib was killed along with around 30 other terrorists.