Mahaz News
—
Police in Papua New Guinea have launched a rescue mission after a bunch of international residents and native guides had been taken hostage by armed criminals in a distant area of the nation, police stated in an announcement Monday.
Among these being held for ransom is an Australian educational, Mahaz News associates Nine News and Seven News reported, citing Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape.
Police stated negotiations are ongoing to safe the hostages’ launch and they’d use “all necessary force” to free them. The police assertion stated the group is being held at Fogoma’iu village within the Southern Highlands province, however didn’t say what number of hostages had been taken.
PNG Police Commissioner David Manning stated the criminals noticed the group “by chance” and took them into the bush.
“These are opportunists that have obviously not thought this situation through before they acted, and have been asking for cash to be paid,” Manning stated, including that authorities are “offering the abductors a way out.”
“They can release their captives and they will be treated fairly through the criminal justice system, but failure to comply and resisting arrest could cost these criminals their lives,” he stated.
Manning added that contact is being maintained with “relevant diplomatic representatives” till the case is resolved.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has not publicly commented on the matter.
Papua New Guinea, a Pacific nation of greater than 9 million individuals, shares an island with the restive Indonesian area of Papua.
Earlier this month, a New Zealand pilot was taken hostage by separatist fighters in Papua. Identified by native police as Philip Mehrtens, the pilot was captured after touchdown a industrial Susi Air constitution flight at Paro Airport within the distant highlands of the Nduga regency.
The group beforehand demanded that every one incoming flights to Paro Airport be stopped and stated the pilot wouldn’t be launched till the Indonesian authorities acknowledged Papuan independence.
Source web site: www.cnn.com
