Hunt for gunmen who killed police, kidnapped more than 1,000 civilians

Indonesian National Police Chief General Tito Karnavian announced that soldiers and police will hunt down a group of gunmen who recently killed a police officer and kidnapped more than 1,000 civilians in the eastern province of Papua.

Indonesian National Police Commander, General Tito Karnavian. (Source: liputan6.com)

Speaking at the police headquarters in the capital Jakarta on November 9, General Karnavian said the gunmen also attacked several other police officers on duty at a subsidiary of the US mining company Freeport McMorant in the village of Tembagapura in Papua province. They then captured more than 1,000 gold miners and turned them into "human shields."

General Karnavian stressed that the police and Indonesian armed forces will coordinate to capture the group using a flexible approach.

Meanwhile, Papua provincial police chief Boy Rafly Amar said the group of gunmen consisted of about 100 people.

Papua province is considered the operating area of ​​the armed separatist group Free Papua Movement (OPM). This group regularly fights for independence for the territory of Papua.

OPM's attacks mainly targeted soldiers, police and workers of a subsidiary of the mining company Freeport McMorant, leaving dozens dead./.

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