United Nations says that violent attacks on three villages in Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s north have likely resulted in the deaths of 26 people, including sixteen children.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, U.N. Human Rights chief Volker Turk stated that he was "horrified" by the violent eruption in Papua New Guinea. The violence appears to be the result of a dispute regarding land ownership and lake rights.

Turk stated that the death toll may rise above 50 as PNG authorities continue to search for missing persons.

In the East Sepik Province, on the 16th and 18th of July, more than 200 people were forced to flee from their homes when they were set ablaze.

The Pacific nation, located north of Australia, is home to hundreds of tribes. It has a history of tribal wars. Violence has increased over the last decade, as villagers have traded in their bows and arrows to military rifles. Elections have also exacerbated tribal divisions.

In May, eight people were killed by fighting and 30 homes were set ablaze in the Enga Province. At least 26 men died in an ambush that took place in the same area in February. Reporting by Renju José and Lewis Jackson, Sydney; editing by Michael Perry