Merauke, South Papua (ANTARA) – A Papuan separatist group attacked six workers involved in the construction of a base transceiver station (BTS) tower in Okbibab, Pegunungan Bintang District, Papua Pegunungan Province, and held four of them hostage.Two other workers were injured in the incident on Friday (May 12). Commander of the Wamena-based 172/PWY military resort Brig. Gen. J.O. Sembiring confirmed the incident when contacted from Merauke, South Papua, on Saturday. The BTS is owned by the Telecommunications and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) of the Transformation and Informatics Ministry. ccording to Sembiring, the construction workers were accompanied by the district’s head of communication and informatics service to observe the construction site in Okbibab Sub-district when five members of the criminal armed group attacked them. Four workers were held hostage, while two other injured workers and the office’s head returned to Oksibil. The victims would be evacuated to Jayapura, Sembiring remarked. “Two injured victims are on the way to Jayapura to get medical treatment,” Sembiring noted. In March last year, several members of an armed Papuan group operating in Beoga Sub-district, Puncak District, killed Palaparing Timur Telematika’s (PTT’s) eight workers, who were repairing aBTStower of state-owned telecommunications operator Telkomsel. The armed group again assaulted another construction worker six days later. The Indonesian Military (TNI) has improved the military operation in Papua to Operation Battle Standby in some areas prone to terror acts launched by the separatist group following the attack on TNI personnel on April 15, 2023. The gunmen ambushed and attacked TNI personnel, who scoured the remote area in Mugi, Nduga District, in search for the abducted Susi Air pilot Phillip Mehrtens. One soldier was killed in the incident, and four others were injured. Related news: TNI imposes Operation Battle Standby against Papua separatists

Source: Antara News Agency