The incident took place in the Bhima river belt region, where tension had reportedly persisted for several years between families over ownership of agricultural land. (File Photo)Six people were hacked to death in an attack linked to a land dispute at Govindapura village in Karnataka’s Vijayapura district Friday afternoon. The attack took place in the Bhima river belt, where families had been locked in a dispute over agricultural land for several years.The deceased have been identified as Chandu Nirale, Dundappa Nirale, Shivaputra Nirale, Rahul Nirale, Samarth Nirale and Shabbir Nadaf, all residents of Govindapura village. Two people identified as Aravind Katage, 72, and Sandeep Mane, 33, were also injured in the attack.Investigators said the attackers used koita, a sharp weapon used for cutting sugarcane. Initial reports suggested firing during the attack, but officers found no visible gunshot injuries during a preliminary examination of the bodies.Vijayapura Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi confirmed the attack and said six people had been killed.“Our officers are at the spot and attending to the situation. More details are awaited,” he said.Police linked the present murders to an earlier murder case registered at Chadachan police station in 2015.