Deadly Land Dispute in Papua New Guinea Claims Multiple Lives

At least 26 people, including 16 children, were killed by a gang in three remote villages in Papua New Guinea's north. The attackers, a group of 30 young men, also burned down homes, forcing over 200 villagers to seek refuge. The violence stemmed from a dispute over land and lake ownership.

At least 26 people were reportedly killed by a gang in three remote villages in Papua New Guinea's north, United Nations and police officials confirm.

"It was a very terrible thing … when I approached the area, I saw children, men, and women killed by a group of 30 young men,'' stated James Baugen, acting Provincial Police Commander in East Sepik province, on Friday to Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Baugen mentioned that the attackers remained at large, while villages were burned, and the inhabitants sought shelter at a police station, too terrified to identify the perpetrators.

"Some of the bodies left in the night were taken by crocodiles into the swamp. We only saw the place where they were killed. There were heads chopped off," Baugen said.

According to U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, the attacks occurred on July 16 and July 18, driven by a land and lake ownership dispute.

"I am horrified by the shocking eruption of deadly violence," Turk said, noting that the death toll could rise as local authorities search for missing persons. Over 200 villagers fled as their homes were torched," Turk added.

(With inputs from agencies.)