Papua New Guinea police . [Source: BBC]
Police in Papua New Guinea are investigating multiple killings on the Hiritano Highway near the capital Port Moresby.
The killings reportedly stemmed from an attempted hold-up of a public bus earlier this week.
Police accounts indicate a man from Goilala in Central Province was killed by bushknives when he and others tried to rob a bus carrying bags of betelnut.
Later, in retaliation, Goilala people began stopping buses driving the highway into Port Moresby until they found one with passengers who they decided to attack.
Three men believed to be from the Highlands region were hacked to death and left on the roadside, as other passengers fled in fear.
Police said they were searching for suspects, and had deployed extra personnel to patrol the area and prevent further roadblocks.
