Three suspects were apprehended and an M4 rifle was confiscated by the members of the Special Operations on Wednesday 3rd December, who monitoring the on-going tribal conflict at Wapenamanda in Enga province.

Members of the Special Operations swiftly neutralized the situation between 8pm and 9pm at the vicinity of the Wapenamanda airport, following executing warning shots into the air.

Under the command of Commander Anthony Wagambi (Jnr), the three suspects were immediately transported to Mt. Hagen city in Western Highlands to be detained and processed by the Investigative Task Force attached to the Special Operations.

Moreover, Wapenamanda station is home to the Yakuman tribe who are in a tribal conflict with neighboring Yangukim and Itoken tribes.

The Yakuman tribe, which is a signatory to the Wapenamanda Peace Agreement sign in Port Moresby quite recently, has since stopped fighting in honor of the provisions of the Peace Agreement to lay down arms and surrender suspects.

Eighteen (18) of their tribesmen were apprehended last Friday by members of the Special Operations for failing to comply with terms of the Peace Agreement.

Meanwhile, earlier that afternoon the Yakuman tribe handed over two of their suspects to the Mediation Team led by ACP Western End Joseph Tondop.

According to Mr. Tondop, the two suspects were not the main suspects involved in the initial killings, but his mediation team accepted them only for formal clearance.

Yakuman tribe has also failed to handover the firearm confiscated from police in Wapenamanda earlier in the conflict to ACP Tondop. They instead informed the Mediation Team that the police issued firearm was taken by their opposing Yangukim tribe during one of their confrontations.

Mr. Tondop did not accept their reason for not returning the firearm and gave them an ultimatum till tomorrow to surrender the main suspects and return the police issued firearm.