ISLAMABAD, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and three others injured in a firing incident inside a tribal court in Pakistan's northwest Battagram district on Tuesday, local reports said.

Local police said the incident happened in a court in the district located in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, when verbal fight between two groups turned ugly and members of one group opened fire at the others.

The attackers fled the scene after the firing.

Police have cordoned off the area and kicked off a search operation to arrest the on-the-run culprits.