Dozens of men killed in fresh outbreak of tribal violence in remote highlands papua new guinealocal police said.
Enga provincial police commander George Kakas told the Guardian the men were killed by heavy gunfire on Sunday. Men from two tribes launched an attack on another group, who “were ambushed and killed,” he said.
“Some bodies are still in the bush and have not yet been retrieved by neighboring tribes,” Kakas said.
“[The] The situation remains tense, but the highway is open for public travel,” he said.
Authorities initially said at least 53 people were killed in the ambush, but later said they had miscounted and 26 were killed.
Graphic images and videos showed bodies piling up on trucks.
The massacre marked an escalation of violence in the region. While trouble in Enga province has attracted attention in recent months, tribal fighting is not uncommon in parts of Papua New Guinea.
The province was reportedly blocked last year outbreak of violence As many as 150 people died, but estimates vary widely. The incident attracted international attention after disturbing footage circulated on social media showing men being tied up and dragged behind a truck as onlookers cheered.
“The news coming out of Papua New Guinea is very disturbing,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a radio interview on Monday.
“We are providing a lot of support, particularly in terms of training police and security in Papua New Guinea.”
