General Moeldoko (left) and Major General Fransen Siahaan (right) – Jubi
Jakarta, Jubi – Indonesian Military Commander General Moeldoko denied that two Indonesian soldiers were taken hostage by rebel group in Enarotali on last week.
“No soldiers were taken hostage. The fact is they avoided an encounter with an armed group,” General Moeldoko said on the sidelines of a meeting with thousands soldiers, civil servants and Dharma Pertiwi at Udayana Regional Military Command, Denpasar, Bali on last Thursday (28/5/2015), according to Antara.
He said the two soldiers accompanied some local residents who were going shopping by motorboat. But on their way, they met the rebel group who asked them to jump on their boat, but they jumped into the water to escape them.
“Since they had good instinct, they jumped in the water and hided somewhere. After a search, the patrol soldiers saved them. So, there was no hostage situation,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Cenderawasih Regional Military Commander Major General Fransen Siahaan earlier admitted two Indonesian soldiers were taken hostage in Enarotaly by the armed group since Tuesday night. “ I got the report about two soldiers were taken hostages by the armed group in Enarotali,” he said in Jayapura on Wednesday.
The report said the incident was occurred when both soldiers took the motorboat with local residents. Later, he stated the pair soldiers made to escape from the rebels.
Meanwhile, the Paniai Regional Customary Council Chief, John Gobai to Jubi declined the information about taking hostages of Second Sergeant Lerry and Second Cadet Sholeh. “No hostages in Paniai. Do not exaggerate it to divert attention from the Paniai case,” Gobai said.
Gobai further said the local residents in Enarotali and Komopa said the pair soldiers took a speedboat with them. But between the Eka River and Aga River, they told them the OPM basecamp was at the end of the river. “People told them to save their life. So, they jumped from the boat and overnighted in the swamp instead of being taken hostages,” Gobai told Jubi on Wednesday (27/5/2015) in Jayapura. (Victor Mambor/rom).
