Dozens of men have been killed in a fresh outbreak of tribal violence in the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea, local police have said.
George Kakas, Enga provincial police commander, told the Guardian the men were killed by heavy gun fire on Sunday. He said men from two tribes staged an attack on another group who were “ambushed and killed.”
“Some dead bodies are still in the bushes and yet to be retrieved by neighbouring tribes,” Kakas said.
“[The] situation is still tense but highway is clear for travelling public,” he said.
Authorities initially said at least 53 people were killed in the ambush, and later said they had miscounted and 26 men had been killed.
Graphic images and videos showed bodies piled up on a truck.
The massacre marks an escalation in violence in the region. Tribal fighting is not unusual in parts of Papua New Guinea though trouble in the Enga province has attracted attention in recent months.
Last year the province was reportedly put into lockdown after an outbreak of violence which killed as many as 150 people, though estimates vary widely. The incident gained international attention after disturbing footage appearing to show men, tied-up and dragged behind a truck as onlookers cheered, circulated on social media.
“That is very disturbing the news that has come out of Papua New Guinea,” Australia prime minister Anthony Albanese said in a radio interview on Monday.
“We’re providing considerable support, particularly for training police officers and for security in Papua New Guinea.”