Military send more reinforcement troops to Ilaga
Military send more reinforcement troops to Ilaga
Antara, Jayapura, Irian Jaya
A small group of soldiers reached the district of Ilaga east
of Puncak Jaya regency in Irian Jaya on Monday as part of a
larger outfit of reinforcements being dispatched to the area to
assist local forces quell disturbances instigated by a rebel
group.
The district capital was devastated last weekend after the
Free Papua Organization's National Liberation Front (TPN) burned
down many buildings, forcing local people to seek refuge in the
Ilaga subdistrict military command.
Lt. Col. Djamaludin, military district commander of Timika,
said in Jayapura on Monday that two helicopters carrying soldiers
had managed to land on a makeshift helipad and more personnel
would follow, depending on weather conditions.
Irian Jaya's regional military command had earlier planned to
dispatch up to 30 more troops to assist the existing 26 police
and military officers now operating in the Ilaga military
district command.
The additional unit already dispatched came from the 753
Infantry Battalion, while more security officers from the
police's mobile brigade are awaiting departure.
The colonel said that, with the reinforcements, the local
joint forces were expected to be capable of reclaiming the Ilaga
airport, currently occupied by TPN separatists, and restore peace
and order throughout the entire city.
Asked if any armed conflicts had occurred since last week's
separatist attack on Ilaga, Djamaludin said both sides had not
yet exchanged fire and no assault was made when the helicopters
landed.
TPN members attacked military and police stations in Ilaga on
Friday, setting fire to various public facilities such as
markets, mosques, banks and the local post office.
The rebel force, led by Titus Morib, has a core group of about
500 members armed with weapons seized from security installations
in the district.
With about 5,000 followers, including locals supporting the
movement, TPN has established its stronghold in the village of
Gomay, near Iapter district.
Two other assaults had preceded Friday's offensive, all of
which have resulted in the deaths of two separatists and injured
one separatist and two soldiers.
The deployment of additional security personnel to the
district, though already accelerated by the temporary landing
strip, still faces the constraint of weather conditions.
Military circles suspect that TPN disturbances have arisen due
to the separatists' disappointment with the Belgian ambassador's
failure to facilitate talks about the status of Papua, as
promised earlier.
The Belgian ambassador to Indonesia agreed to act as
facilitator in negotiations with the Indonesian government as a
precondition for the Aug. 1 release of two Belgian citizens held
by Papuan rebels for a month in Puncak Jaya.