Nine women and children have reportedly been taken hostage by separatists from the Free Papua Movement (OPM) following an attack on an Indonesian Military (TNI) security post in Jila district, Mimika, Central Papua, that left one soldier and a civilian dead, authorities have claimed.Mimika Military District Commander Lt. Col. Jozanda said the TNI immediately deployed personnel to pursue the suspected kidnappers after receiving reports from local residents that the group had taken the women and children hostage.
“Do not worry. We are in pursuit of the perpetrators,” Jozanda said in Timika on Wednesday as quoted by Kompas.com.
“We hope the soldiers carrying out the pursuit will be able to quickly locate and rescue the children,” he added.
According to Jozanda, the incident began when members of the armed separatist group allegedly attacked an Army post and the Jila Military Subdistrict Command (Koramil) from three directions on Indonesia’s Independence Day on Monday.
The attackers allegedly shot and killed one soldier and wounded two others during the assault, Jozanda said.
