6 killed, 60 injured during local government polls in NW Pakistan

People look at a victim of an attack on buses in Quetta, Pakistan, May 30, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

ISLAMABAD - At least six people were killed and 60 others injured during clashes in various cities of Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, local media reported.

Geo TV said that the clashes broke out among different rival groups due to mismanagement in local government elections in the province.

The most serious incident happened in Charsadda district where two people were killed and over 30 others injured during the exchange of firing between two rival groups.

Two people were killed in Dera Ismail Khan district while two others lost their lives during clashes in Kohat.

Ten people received injuries when unknown assailants opened firing on polling stations in Naspa and Regai areas of the province.

Separately, over 20 people were injured during the exchange of firing in Mardan, Swat, Nowshera districts and Malakand and Hazara divisions.

The injured people were shifted to nearby hospitals.

Official sources said that Saturday's polls were the largest local government elections in the history of the province where the residents voted to elect 41,762 councilors in the three tiers of local councils.

The provincial government made strict security arrangement in the restive areas of the province, and deployed some 86,115 security personnel at different polling stations.

Though no serious terrorist attack took place and polling remained smooth in most of the areas, however, polling in various stations was suspended due to mismanagement that triggered off clashes.