The feud began more than four years ago over the suspicious death of a tribal woman in the Bugti feeder area, some 450 km north of Karachi, the provincial capital, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. In the past four years scores of people have been killed.

Today's gun battle went on for more than an hour terrorising residents of the area, the APP said quoting eyewitnesses.

It wasn't clear what sparked the latest gun battle between the rival tribesmen. Tribesmen in Pakistan are often well-armed with heavy weapons like rocket launchers.