Gang killed 26 villagers in northern Papua New Guinea: Police
Al JazeeraTribal violence escalating with influx of mercenaries and automatic weapons into the strained island nation. A gang killed at least 26 men, women and children in an attack on three remote villages in Papua New Guinea’s north, police said. The gang, which struck earlier this month, consisted of “30 young men”, according to James Baugen, a provincial police commander in East Sepik province. “I am horrified by the shocking eruption of deadly violence in Papua New Guinea,” said the UN rights chief, calling on the authorities “to conduct prompt, impartial and transparent investigations and to ensure those responsible are held to account”. Cycle of violence Papua New Guinea, home to hundreds of tribes and languages, has a long history of tribal warfare.