Rival factions in a chieftaincy dispute at Kanvilli, near Tamale clashed on Wednesday in which seven people suffered serious injuries.

The seven are on admission at the Tamale regional hospital.

A timely intervention by armed soldiers and police prevented a possible blood bath, as the two factions were mobilising forces for a showdown later on Thursday.

The trouble started on Wednesday night when the regent of Kanvilli, Mohammed Alhassan went to the village to prepare towards his father's funeral.

The other faction had forced his father, Chief Abdul-Rahman Alhassan-Sabliga out of the village. He died in Tamale in 1995.

The Kanvilli chieftaincy problem started in the early 1990s when the then Gulkpe Naa, Chief of Tamale enskinned Alhassan-Sabliga while the Ya-Na also enskinned Alhassan Dramani both as chief.

Chief Alhassan-Sabliga's son, who has been living in Tamale since his father’s death decided to move to the village on Wednesday night with armed men.

An eyewitness told the GNA that, after the regent had settled in at a house close to the chief’s palace, his men started firing at the palace.

The other faction also mobilised and returned the fire until the police intervened and security personnel whisked the regent away to safety.

Members of the Northern Region security committee went to the village to assess the situation and appealed to both factions to be calm.