The fighting took place earlier this week in Galapaye, about 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) south of the Guinean capital near the country’s border with Liberia.

A man who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals said Friday that members of the Kpele community had attacked members of the Konianke group with machetes and rifles.

He said the violence began after a Konianke man wounded someone from the Kpele group who had been trying to raze a mosque in the area.

The two communities have had frequent altercations over the mosque, which the Kpeles had opposed.