Officials: NW Pakistan Rival Tribes To End Fight

PARACHINAR, Pakistan (AP) - A tribal elder and a government official say Sunni and Shiite communities in a region close to the Afghan border have agreed to end their four-year long conflict.

Tribal council leader Waris Khan Afridi said Wednesday the main road leading to Kurram from Peshawar was now open again and both Shiites and Sunnis were using it. Previously, the road was too dangerous to use.

He says "God willing" there would be no more fighting.

Hundreds have died in the fighting, which effectively isolated the region from the rest of Pakistan because the main road was so dangerous.

He says the two sects had agreed to stop fighting, but gave no details on the terms.

On Tuesday, a convoy of vehicles from both communities traveled the road to publicize the agreement.