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solated in two villages for almost two weeks amid escalating tension between security forces and the National Liberation Army of West Papua (TPNPB) in Mimika regency, Papua, dozens of residents from the villages of Kimberly and Banti were finally evacuated to the regency capital, Timika, on Friday morning.

Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. AM Kamal said security personnel had evacuated 150 people from Kimberly and 194 from Longsoran, an area in Banti, under strong protection from a joint force of military and police personnel.

“Thirteen personnel of the Army’s Special Forces [Kopassus], supported by 30 members of the 751st Raider battalion, gained control of Kimbeli village, while two teams from the Army Strategic Reserves Command’s [Kostrad] Combat Reconnaissance Platoons [Tontaipur] regained control of Banti village from the TPNPB,” said Cendrawasih Military District Command spokesman Lt. Col. M. Aidi.

“Within less than two hours, they managed to take over the two villages and push back the OPM/TPN members, who ran into the forest,” he added.

Those who have been evacuated, all of whom originate from outside the area, walked for two hours to reach Timika and were taken care of by their respective communities there.

Meanwhile, hundreds of indigenous residents — who are originally from Kimberly and Banti — opted to stay in their villages.

“They were born and grew up in Kimberly and Banti, so they don’t want to leave. They only asked us to provide security and logistical assistance until the situation in the two villages returns to normal,” said Kamal.

Two security posts had been set up in the villages to remain there until the situation improved, Aidi added.

Cendrawasih Military Commander Maj. Gen. George Elnadus Supit said on Friday that the police and military operation had been seen as the only option left.

“When the negotiation reached deadlock, we conducted the rescue operation,” he said.

More than 1,300 people had been held hostage by armed Papuan separatists since Nov. 5.

Tensions have risen in Mimika after a Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officer died in an exchange of fire with armed assailants in Utikini, Tembagapura district, in late October. On Nov. 5, an armed group set ablaze five kiosks owned by local people in Utikini.

Human right activists have called for peaceful negotiations, saying dialogue was the best way to settle the violence. However, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said on Friday that the TPNPB was reluctant to sit down and talk with the government.

“The National Police chief has agreed to mediate […], but even though we have communicated with the TPNPB, they have yet to commit to [dialogue],” Amiruddin Al Rahab, a Komnas HAM commissioner, said on Friday.

He said a mediation process could not be rushed, because it involved several stages, beginning with preparation to pre-mediation, mediation and post-mediation.

On Wednesday, the TPNPB claimed responsibility for the recent attacks in Mimika.

“This is a war. We will continue our attacks until Papua’s sovereignty is recognized,” Hengky Wamang, one of the TPNPB leaders, told The Jakarta Post in a phone interview on Wednesday.

However, Hengky denied the allegation that the group had held residents hostage and claimed it had instead protected the villagers, whose lives were at risk because of the conflict.

“We are protecting the civilians in these two villages who cannot leave their homes in this war situation. It is not safe out there, and if they do leave the villages and are shot by police, we might be accused of being the shooters,” he said.

Papuan human rights lawyer Yan Christian Warinussy had said earlier that dialogue was the only way to end the violence in Papua and prevent it from recurring.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has pushed for infrastructure development in the easternmost province and has stated the importance of dialogue between Jakarta and the Papuans to end the violence.