Dozens of people have died in a tribal dispute in Papua New Guinea’s remote Highlands region, authorities say.
The victims were shot dead during an ambush in the Enga province over the weekend, a national police spokesman revealed.
The Highlands area has long struggled with violence, but these killings are believed to be the worst in years. An influx of illegal firearms have made clashes more deadly and fueled a cycle of violence.
Police started collecting bodies at the scene near the town of Wabag, roughly 600km northwest of the capital Port Moresby.
“This is by far the largest killing I’ve seen in Enga, maybe in all of the Highlands as well,” Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Acting Supt George Kakas said.
“We’re all devastated, we’re all mentally stressed out. It’s really hard to comprehend,” he added
Police received graphic videos and photos purporting to be from the scene, showing bodies loaded onto a truck, say media outlets.
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Escalating tribal conflict often over the distribution of land and wealth, led to a three-month lockdown in Enga last July, during which police imposed a curfew and travel restrictions.
In August last year, the violence made international headlines after graphic footage involving three dead men circulated online.
Governor Peter Ipatas disclosed to newsmen that there had been signs that fighting was about to erupt again ahead of the ambush.
“With up to 17 tribes involved in the most recent escalation, it was ultimately up to the security forces to keep the peace.
“From a provincial perspective, we knew this fight was going to be on and we alerted the security forces last week to make sure they took appropriate action to ensure this didn’t occur,” he said.
Security more broadly remains a key concern for PNG. The government last month declared a state of emergency after major rioting and looting left at least 15 people dead.
Australia, one of the country’s closest allies, said news of the killings was very disturbing.
The country’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in an interview on Monday assured that the government would be providing considerable support, particularly for training police officers and for security in Papua New Guinea.
