Commissioner of Police, David Manning, has confirmed the deployment of additional security forces to the Wapenamanda area in response to tribal fighting on February 17th. In a statement, Manning urged provincial and local leaders in Enga to intervene and calm tensions, condemning the violence as a "disgraceful act of barbarity." Manning emphasized the severity of the situation, noting that the exact number of casualties is still being assessed as police continue to recover remains from dense scrubland. He described the conflict as an "act of domestic terrorism" and announced forthcoming legislation aimed at strengthening law enforcement's capacity to prevent such incidents. “There is no other way to look at this situation other than it is an act of domestic terrorism… (and) … legislation is being introduced to Parliament that will further strengthen the law enforcement capacity of security forces to intervene to percent acts of domestic terrorism,” Manning stated. “There is absolutely no excuse for this senseless violence that has caused a significant number of deaths and ruined the lives of many families, and further harmed the reputation of Enga and the Nation.” “The total number of dead and injured is still being assessed as police recover further remains from dense scrubland,” he said, adding that police responded to the situation as soon as was possible under the circumstances. “Details on the conflict are still being investigated and information on what occurred will be released as confirmed this comes to hand.” Security personnel have been instructed to engage with offenders using all legal means necessary, with targeted operations initiated to isolate fighting zones and restore law and order. Manning stressed the need for tougher measures, particularly in addressing the proliferation of illegal firearms and bringing perpetrators, including weapons smugglers, to justice.