8 Sep 2011

PNG man sought for serious crimes dies in tribal fight

5:41 pm on 8 September 2011

A man who'd been sought by Papua New Guinea police for a raft of violent crimes has been killed in a tribal clash.

Patrick Sira, who was alleged to have killed, raped, tortured and robbed countless victims across Eastern Highlands, was shot dead while a policeman was critically injured in a subsequent gunfight.

The Eastern Highlands provincial police commander, superintendent Augustine Wampe, says Mr Sira sustained bullet wounds during a gun battle against armed tribesmen on Wednesday and was taken to a remote health clinic where he later died.

Mr Wampe says following the death, a large group of armed men attempted to loot shops and an officer from the Kainantu Task Force was shot and critically injured as police tried to repel the looters, many of whom were armed with guns and daggers.

He says the two events could be linked.