By Khushal Khan 

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - Deadly infighting between rival militant factions has erupted across Pakistan's northwestern tribal districts, with clashes over extortion turf leaving dozens dead and spilling over into civilian areas, officials and residents said Saturday.

The internecine fighting, which began in Kurram district two days ago, has now spread to neighboring Orakzai, where mortar shells fired by warring groups struck civilian homes, killing at least four people and wounding several others.

According to local sources, the clashes pit two factions of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group -- referred to by Pakistani authorities as Fitna al-Khawarij -- against each other in a bloody power struggle over extortion rackets in the mountainous region along the Afghan border.

The Kazim group, operating from central Kurram, has been locked in intense firefights with a Khawarij faction from Tirah in Khyber district, with both sides employing heavy weapons in the mountainous terrain.

The violence has continued for two weeks, with reports indicating that a faction known as Jamatul Ahrara in Mohmand district has also been involved in clashes with the main TTP group.

Dozens of militants have been killed on both sides, with fighting also reported across the border in Afghanistan's Kunar province.

"Heavy weapons are being used in these internal clashes in the mountains of central Kurram, Orakzai, and Khyber," a local resident told The South Asia Times, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

The spillover into civilian areas has compounded the misery of local populations already living under the shadow of militancy.

During the clashes in Orakzai, mortar shells landed in civilian areas, killing four civilians and wounding several others.

Residents reported that the fighting has severely disrupted daily life, with markets closed and families trapped in their homes.

"Civilian life has been severely disrupted by these internal clashes among the Khawarij," residents said. However, they expressed confidence in ongoing state operations against militant elements.

In a troubling development, unidentified miscreants attempted to exploit the civilian deaths by opening fire on a military post in Orakzai.

According to official sources, Pakistani soldiers exercised extreme restraint and did not retaliate, ensuring no further harm to innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

The ongoing violence reflects deepening differences among militant groups' financial resources -- particularly lucrative extortion networks that fund their terror operations.

Fighting between TTP factions and splinter groups like the ISKP-aligned Jamatul Ahrara has intensified in recent weeks, with rival militants targeting each other's hideouts in the rugged border regions.

Separately, security forces in Balochistan conducted an intelligence-based operation in Mastung district, killing two terrorists affiliated with Fitna al-Hindustan -- the term used by Pakistani authorities for India-backed militant groups operating in the province.

A large quantity of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the terrorists' possession following the operation. Search operations are ongoing in the area due to the possibility of further threats, according to security agencies.

"Intelligence-based operations like these will continue uninterrupted to maintain law and order," security officials said.

Earlier this month, BLA terrorists carried out coordinated attacks across Balochistan province at 12 locations, martyred over 30 civilians and over 20 security personnel.

In response, the Pakistan military carried out security operations against the group and killed 216 terrorists in six days.

In recent years, Pakistan has seen an increase in terrorism, with bombings and militant attacks on security personnel, law enforcement, and government installations in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southwestern province of Balochistan.

Pakistan accused the Afghan base TTP militants of carrying out these attacks with the support of the Afghan Taliban. Kabul denied it.