T

he Indonesian Military (TNI) has requested help from Papua New Guinea'€™s (PNG) military to secure the release of two Indonesians who have been taken hostage by a criminal group operating in the border area between the two countries.

'€œWe appreciate PNG'€™s efforts to release our people from the armed group. We also hope that the hostages will be released in a good condition. Now, we are still waiting for the [negotiation] process by our representatives in PNG,'€ spokesperson for regional military command (Kodam) XVII/Cenderawasih, Lt. Col. Teguh Pujo Rahardjo, told The Jakarta Post on Monday night.

The two Indonesians, identified as Sudirman, 28, and Badar, 30, are timber workers in Skofro hamlet, Keerom regency, Papua.

The criminal group has been holding them hostage since Wednesday, asking in return for the release of two people who are being detained by the Keerom Police in relation to a marijuana case.

According to Teguh, the TNI would extend the deadline until Tuesday afternoon so the criminals had time to negotiate and release the two Indonesians.

'€œWe will help the PNG military and police if they ask for our assistance. However, we hope the negotiation runs smoothly so we don'€™t need [to use] any violence to [secure the] release of our people,'€ Teguh said, adding that the TNI was standing by near the border for progress on the case.

Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih co-mmander Maj. Gen. Hinsa Siburian has asked the PNG military for assistance in freeing the Indonesians.

It was reported earlier that a shooting occurred in Skofro, about an hour'€™s drive from PNG. The perpetrators, an unidentified armed group, targeted four woodcutters, including Sudirman and Badar.

One of the woodcutters, 38 year-old Kuba Marmahu, was shot in the head, while another escaped.

The armed group, which claimed to be part of the Free Papua Organization (OPM), then took Sudirman and Badar into PNG territory.

Kuba is currently being treated at Bhayangkara Hospital in Jayapura.

According to Elmar Lubis, the Indonesian Consul in Vanimo, PNG, the Indonesian government received confirmation from the PNG military regarding the incident on Wednesday.

Elmar said that Sudirman and Badar were in good condition and efforts to release them were still ongoing. He also made a request to the PNG military to prioritize the safety of the Indonesians.

The Papua Police revealed Monday that they had sent three community leaders to PNG to help with the negotiations.

'€œThey will find information on the two Indonesians now in PNG. They will also negotiate with the armed group to repatriate our people to Indonesia,'€ Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw said in Jayapura on Monday.

Paulus said he would hold a meeting with PNG authorities in Vanimo to discuss further action on the release of the two Indonesians.

According to Paulus, based on his communications with Elmar, the two Indonesians were being held in PNG'€™s Skouwtiau hamlet.

TNI spokesperson Maj. Gen. Endang Sodik said that PNG authorities had met with the group to negotiate about the hostages.

'€œThe group demanded to exchange the hostages with their two comrades who are detained at the Keerom Police station due to drug possession,'€ Sodik said in Jakarta.

The police and the TNI claimed that the group was part of the OPM under Jeffry Pagawak.

'€œJeffry'€™s group is a new criminal group that creates terror in Jayapura and Keerom,'€ Paulus said.

The group has reportedly carried out several terrorist acts in Papua, including attacking a police office in 2012.

It was reported that Jeffry has been on the police'€™s wanted persons list since 2006.
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