Papua New Guinea police have reported the deaths of four people in what they say is an election related attack.
Police said the victims were shot in an ambush at a road block in the country's Western Highlands.
Police spokesperson Chief Sergeant Jacob Kumin said the security situation in the region is very tense.
The ambush is just the latest of dozens of attacks to occur in the country during the polling period.
Earlier this week 18 people were killed in tribal fighting in Enga, near Porgera.
In Southern Province the police commander Chief Inspector Daniel Yangen said road blocks and searching of vehicles is vital to the security of the province's vote count.
He said roadblocks and checkpoints have been set up within Mendi township to monitor movements of people within the town area.
Vehicles are also being checked to ensure no offensive weapons are being brought in during the counting and declaration.
Yangen said while Southern Highlands polling had been peaceful he wants this maintained during the counting and the declaration periods.
He said the roadblocks sends a signal to the people that the security forces are on high alert and at work.
Yangen is confident they have enough manpower with the local mobile squad, a platoon from the PNG Defence Force, and additional support arriving to boost numbers, to allow the counting process to be completed without any major mishaps.
Call to ensure there is no repeat of violence and disruptions
The chair of Transparency International Papua New Guinea, Peter Aitsi, said the new government has to ensure the Electoral Commission is ready far earlier after the shambles of the latest poll.
Transparency International PNG's Peter Aitsi Photo: Transparency International PNG
Most voting is now complete but the country is still to battle through much of the counting in what commentators say is among the worst elections ever.
There has been widespread violence and disruption, with the possibility of some electorates being forced into by-elections, because of the extent of interference.
Aitsi said the problems can be traced back to the Electoral Commissioner being appointed only months before the poll and the failure to ensure the electoral roll was updated.
"So many people were disenfranchised by not being on the Electoral Roll. So that, compounded with, just I think, the inability of the Electoral Commission to prepare for the elections, to be able to mobilise the workforce that was required to then be able to move ballot papers, and just have the logistical arrangements in place, to conduct an efficient and proper election," he said.
Parliament set to sit early
Papua New Guinea Governor General, Sir Bob Dadae, has called for the new parliament to sit on August 4.
This will be the first meeting of the 11th Parliament after the national elections.
The first order of business will be the swearing-in of MPs, followed by the election of the speaker.