BNPT: All Efforts Are Being Made to Free Susi Air Pilot

Jakarta- Residents of Nduga Regency, in the mountainous Papua province, are facing a series of acts of terror due to the actions of an armed criminal group (KKB) led by Egianus Kogoya.

The KKB has taken hostage a Susi Air pilot named Philip Mark Mehrten.

The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) stated that all efforts have been made to free the pilot.

BNPT, together with the TNI-POLRI Police and various ministerial institutions, formed a task force (satgas) to deal with the KKB problem in the region.

They have made various efforts from soft approaches to law enforcement to negotiate with the KKB. However, the most important thing at the moment is to rescue the hostages, the pilots held hostage by the KKB.

This violent situation has forced local residents to leave their hometowns and flee to safer areas, such as Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency.

Pangdam XVII/Cenderawasih, Major General Izak Pangemanan, has also pushed for the release of the Susi Air pilot and said that the local government is working to negotiate with Egianus Kogoya.