A couple and their five children were killed in the incident that occurred in Suhbatpur sub-division of Jaffarabad district, the reports said. District police chief Javed Iqbal said the members of the minority Hindu community died during an exchange of fire between two rival groups of the Bugti tribe on Tuesday.

Ten members of the Hindu family were sleeping outside their hut when the gun battle erupted. Shankar, his wife and their five children died on the spot while three others were injured. Iqbal said the dead were residents of Bakhshpur town of Sindh province.

Police cordoned off the area on being informed about the incident and launched a search operation to arrest the tribesmen involved in the shootout. Hindus of the area organised a protest on a nearby highway, blocking it with the bodies. They shouted slogans against the administration for its failure to protect the lives and property of the community.