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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| 'Dozens die' in Pakistan fighting | 'Dozens die' in Pakistan fighting |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Fifty-two people have been killed in fresh fighting between foreign militants and local tribesmen in Pakistan, the interior minister says. | Fifty-two people have been killed in fresh fighting between foreign militants and local tribesmen in Pakistan, the interior minister says. |
| Forty-five of the dead are foreign militants, thought to be of Uzbek origin, Aftab Khan Sherpao said. | Forty-five of the dead are foreign militants, thought to be of Uzbek origin, Aftab Khan Sherpao said. |
| The clashes began when tribesmen from the partially autonomous South Waziristan region began trying to eject the foreign fighters. | |
| With journalists barred from the area, casualty figures are hard to confirm. | With journalists barred from the area, casualty figures are hard to confirm. |
| The fighting has been going on for over a week. | |
| In that time government figures put the number of dead at around 200. But that estimate is considerably higher than reports to the BBC from local people, who put the total at just a few dozen. | |
| The BBC's Alastair Leithead in Lahore says the fighting is being presented by Mr Sherpao as a clash between pro-government elders and foreign fighters, who are reportedly supporting al-Qaeda. | |
| "The fighting is going on. It intensified today after peace talks failed," Mr Sherpao told AFP news agency. | |
| "Tribes are insisting on their demand that these people either surrender or quit the area." | "Tribes are insisting on their demand that these people either surrender or quit the area." |
| Our correspondent says the government is keen to show that the fighting indicates that a controversial peace deal to stop militants crossing the border into Afghanistan is working. | |
| Under the deal the military reduced its presence on the condition that local tribesmen stopped militants from carrying out attacks across the border. | |
| Critics of that deal, and a similar one in North Waziristan, say they are making things worse. | |
| However, other reports suggest the fighting is a result of other tensions between local tribesmen and the Uzbeks, who locals say do not follow important local customs. | |
| Peace deal | Peace deal |
| Many fighters with ties to al-Qaeda regrouped in Waziristan after the US attacked their bases in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2001. | |
| The local militants are led by pro-Taleban commanders Mullah Nazir and Haji Sharif, while the foreign militants belong to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, correspondents say. | The local militants are led by pro-Taleban commanders Mullah Nazir and Haji Sharif, while the foreign militants belong to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, correspondents say. |
| Their leader is Tahir Yuldashev, said to have once been a confidante of Osama Bin Laden. | Their leader is Tahir Yuldashev, said to have once been a confidante of Osama Bin Laden. |
| A local tribal commander said the fighting would continue until all the foreign militants had been expelled from the area. | A local tribal commander said the fighting would continue until all the foreign militants had been expelled from the area. |