53 Dead in Papua New Guinea Tribal Violence

Sixty-four bloodied bodies have been found along a stretch of road in Papua New Guinea’s remote highlands, police said today, a gruesome escalation of long-running violence between local warring tribes.

The victims were believed to be tribal fighters who were ambushed by a rival group in the early hours of Sunday.

The incident occurred near the town of Wabag, about 600 kilometres northwest of the capital Port Moresby.

The rugged and lawless area has for years been the scene of tit-for-tat mass killings between rival Sikin, Ambulin, Kaekin and other tribesmen.

Graphic police images from the scene showed stripped and bloodied bodies lying by the side of the road and piled up on the back of a flatbed truck.

Some men had limbs hacked and were left naked by the road with beer bottles or cans placed on their chests.

Police today said gunfights were ongoing in nearby valleys and bodies were still being recovered from bushland near the road.

Clans have fought each other in Papua New Guinea’s highlands for centuries, but an influx of mercenaries and automatic weapons has made clashes more deadly and escalated the cycle of violence.