Nine women allegedly taken hostage in Jila, police investigate information

The Mimika Resort Police are still investigating information regarding the alleged hostage-taking of civilians by an armed group in Jila District, Mimika Regency, Central Papua.

Mimika Police Chief AKBP Alredo Agustinus Rumbiak said the information was obtained from members of the public and then passed on to personnel at the Jila Police Station.

Speaking in Timika on Wednesday, Alredo said that so far police have not obtained direct testimony from residents who witnessed the alleged hostage-taking.

“According to information from my officers at the Jila Police Station, that is what the community reported,” he said.

However, Alredo stressed that police have not yet obtained the identities of the alleged victims or any witnesses who directly saw the incident.

“Up to now, no one has been able to provide the names of the hostages or give testimony of having seen the incident. We are still investigating the information from the community,” he said.

Based on initial information gathered, the alleged hostage-taking is said to have occurred in Jila District on Tuesday (18/8) and involved nine civilians, all of whom were women.

The nine residents were allegedly taken hostage by an armed group. However, police are still working to verify the truth of the information, including the identities and whereabouts of the residents said to be victims.

Jila District is one of 18 districts in Mimika Regency. The area is located in a mountainous region, and access to the district is partly by small-bodied aircraft.