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.