PNG military helps free 11 hostages

PNG military helps free 11 hostages

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: The Papua New Guinea military helped in securing the release of 11 Irianese held hostage since May 5 by an Irianese rebel group led by Hans Bomay, Indonesian officials said on Monday.

Budi Susanto, an Indonesian consul in Vanimo, and Col. Edy Butar-Butar, defense attache in Port Moresby, told Antara that the hostages were freed from the rebels' hideouts in Bewani, PNG.

They were released at about 10:30 a.m. local time on Monday without the use of violence, they said.

The PNG military operation, which was led directly by its commander Brig. Gen. Jerry Singirok, managed to free the hostages after Bomay did not meet his promise to release them on May 28.

"The 11 hostages are temporarily accommodated at a house in Scothciau in PNG with a full guard from the local soldiers and police officers," the officials said. They said a PNG military doctor determined they were in good health.

"The Indonesian consul to Vanimo, Brig. Gen. Singirok, and I have already met the hostages and saw their health condition," Edy said.

He explained that the freed hostages were scheduled to be sent to Vanimo on Wednesday.

The hostages, most of them women, were kidnapped during the rebels' raid on a residential area at the Arso oil palm plantation in Jayapura.

The rebels also killed four people, wounded three others and robbed others.

Trikora Military Commander Maj. Gen. Amir Sembiring and Irian Governor Freddy Numberi are scheduled to fly to Vanimo on Wednesday to bring the hostages back to Jayapura.