A horrific video has emerged on social media of a gang beheading a corpse in the latest outbreak of brutal violence on Australia’s doorstep in Papua New Guinea.
He ABC The shocking video shows a gang using hunting knives to decapitate the body of a villager killed in a massacre in the country’s far north-western East Sepik province two weeks ago.
The alleged perpetrators of the massacre are a gang known as “No Me Importa.”
The gruesome video shows men shouting “I don’t care” as they celebrate and parade with severed body parts in front of the camera.
Local police are using the video to help track down the suspected perpetrators, who are hiding in remote areas of the forest.
Violent attacks on four remote villages in Angoram district in East Sepik, northern Papua New Guinea (PNG), have likely killed 26 people, including 16 children, while several people were forced to flee after attackers set fire to their homes, the United Nations said.
Because of the remoteness of the area, Papua New Guinea authorities have not spoken to many affected people and the death toll could be higher than 50.
Police have arrested five people but believe another 25 are involved.
Shocking video shows a gang using hunting knives to decapitate the body of a villager killed in a massacre in East Sepik province in the far north-west of Papua New Guinea two weeks ago.
Because of the remoteness of the area, Papua New Guinea authorities have not spoken to many affected people and the death toll could be higher than 50.
East Sepik Governor Allan Bird told ABC the massacre was “inhumane”.
He said the cause of the violence was unclear, but the alleged perpetrators were known.
“We know who they are,” Bird said.
‘They have posted a video and seem proud of these horrible murders. It is a really sad situation.
“They kill people without any remorse or guilt. We need to get to the bottom of this to find out what is causing this level of hatred and violence, to find out what triggered it.”
More than 200 people had to flee to care centres after their homes were set on fire in the attack.
Some 33 men from the gang burnt houses before killing an elderly man and a five-year-old boy in Angrumara village on July 17. news.com.au reported.
The village of Tambari was also attacked the following day while most of its inhabitants were asleep; women and girls were raped and murdered and some male villagers were also killed.
Acting East Sepik Provincial Police Commander Senior Inspector James Baugen told the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier that mothers breastfeeding their babies were decapitated and the victims’ bodies mutilated.
“Most of the bodies found had their heads cut off. Some are mothers trying to save their children from being killed,” he said.
Violent attacks on three remote villages in Angoram district in East Sepik, northern Papua New Guinea (PNG), have likely killed 26 people, including 16 children, while several people were forced to flee after attackers set fire to their homes, the United Nations said.
“The crime scene is littered with corpses. Some of the bodies were seen floating in the Sepik River and were caught by crocodiles.”
One woman told PNG newspaper The National how she clung to a tree trunk to ward off attackers.
“I could hear women moaning in pain and children crying. I was lucky the men didn’t see me,” she said.
“Three of my sisters were raped but managed to escape, while seven others are missing. Three mothers with babies were killed and their babies taken away.”
Mr Turk urged Papua New Guinea authorities to “work in and with affected communities to address the root causes of the land and lake disputes, and thus prevent a recurrence of violence.”