Student among 5 killed in Tari

By JAMES GUMUNO
A GRADE 5 student was among the five killed when gunmen fired on people at a funeral in Tari, Hela, and robbed them of money, mobile phones and other valuables.
Hela provincial police commander Chief Inspector Martin Lakari, pictured, told The National yesterday from Tari that the incident happened on Friday between 4pm and 5pm.
He said the armed men from the Lenapini clan arrived in a group, held up the mourners, stole their money, mobile phones, shoes, and any other valuable items before shooting five dead.
He said the Lenapini clansmen went into Ake village, which is about a kilometre from the Pai road junction of the Okuk Highway in the Tari-Pori district and attacked the Tipa clansmen.
Lakari said the Tipa clansmen were mourning the death of a man when the Lenapini clansmen attacked.
Lakari said the mourners were caught by surprise as they did not regard the Lenapini clan as enemies.
“This is a real terrorist attack in Hela.
“The Lenapini clansmen attacking another Tipa clansmen for no good reason,” he said.
He condemned what the Lenapini clansmen did as totally wrong and inhumane.
He said those in Lenapini clan involved in the killing would be arrested and made to face the full force of the law.