Finschhafen fight claims three

FIERCE gun fighting in Finschhafen early yesterday morning left at least three men dead, The National reports.

The first two from the coastal village of Kwalansam were killed by the hinterland Gaweng Labu.

In retaliation, the Kwalansam villages later in the day rallied and attacked Gaweng Labu and razed several homes.

Police source did not identify the site of the killings but said the deaths were caused by high- powered guns.

All three dead are in the morgue at the Lutheran church-run Braun Hospital.

The source also said there were reports of at least five other deaths before yesterday.

The source said both villagers were using high-powered guns, adding that police going into the area yesterday were warned to take “extraordinary precautions”.

The fighting was said to have started after independence over a land ownership issue.

The source said there had been intermittent clashes in the past two weeks with unconfirmed reports of deaths.

The source said more than 3,000 people from the neighbouring coastal villages of Kasanga and Ngasingalatuc and Bugem had stopped going to their gardens for fear of attacks. 

Residents at the district headquarters of Gagidu said the town was tense.

They warned that the fighting could seriously affect the start of classes at the neighbouring Dregerhafen Technical Secondary School, which will be starting its Grade 10 examinations next Tuesday.