30 Jan 2007

Tribal clashes in PNG's Western Province broken up by police

10:42 am on 30 January 2007

Warring Papua New Guinean tribesmen have clashed on a sports oval in the highlands city of Mt Hagen

Clansmen armed with bush knives turned Pope John Paul Oval into a battlefield and clashed with police on the streets of the Western Highlands capital on Friday when their long-running tribal fight spilled into the city.

PNG's Post-Courier newspaper reports that knife-wielding tribesmen and some with firearms clashed in the central city and confronted police, who fired warning shots to disperse them.

Hospital authorities report that a number of people have received treatment for injuries.