Madagascar Hunts Kung Fu Fanatics After Killing Spree

TANANARIVE, Madagascar — Troops on this island off East Africa hunted kung fu fanatics Thursday after a night of shooting that left an unspecified number of people dead and wounded, the government said.

“Kung fu enthusiasts have become a virtual state within the state,” a state broadcast charged, adding that the martial-arts practitioners had been responsible for kidnapings, assassinations, death threats and hostage-taking.

Kung fu was banned in Madagascar in 1984. In December, its enthusiasts were accused of attacking a youth camp. The government said 60 people died in that encounter.

The target of the December kung fu attack was a state-run youth association that was widely believed to have been involved in street crime and informing on political dissidents to the security police.