Pakistan clan fight leaves 5 dead after Eid prayers

QUETTA, Pakistan, Oct 25 (Reuters) Five Pakistani tribe members were killed and five others wounded when a gunfight between rival clans broke out after midday prayers for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr today, police said.

The clans in Pakistan's southwest province of Baluchistan had been feuding since a man and woman were killed two months ago following accusations that they had been having a relationship out of wedlock -- a strict taboo in Pakistani tribal societies.

''Five people were killed and five wounded when two factions of the Magsi tribe clashed,'' said Jamil Asghar, deputy police chief in Jaffarabad, a district on the border of Baluchistan and Sindh provinces.

Police arrested two suspects and seized their Kalashnikov rifles.

The Eid festival, which follows a month of fasting for the holy month of Ramadan, is a time of celebration for Muslims, but Baluch tribes also give priority to pride and honour in their value system.

Reuters PB DB2129