Indonesian forces save 18 Freeport workers in Papua from rebels

Officials said that the Indonesian military rescued on Thursday 18 workers from Freeport Indonesia, a gold and copper mining company. The workers had been surrounded for three days by armed rebels at a Freeport Indonesia outpost located in Papua's insurgency-plagued region.

Free Papua Movement, a rebel?group, says that it fights for the secession of a region from Indonesia. Indonesia has been in control of half the island's resource-rich resources since 1969. The independent state of Papua New Guinea is located north of Australia on the other half of this massive Pacific Island, one of the largest in the World.

Last week, as they were repairing one of Freeport’s electric towers, in the mountainous Central Papua Province, rebels surrounded and seized them, according to Indonesian defence ministry spokesperson Rico 'Ricardo Sirait.

"They intimidated workers, fired shots in order to 'frighten them or disturb them psychologically," said?Sirait.

He said that the military used drones for food and medicine delivery to the stranded employees, before they were evacuated to safety three days later.

Freeport Indonesia, as well as the spokesperson for Papuan Separatists, did not respond immediately to a comment request.

The military didn't provide details on the operation, but they did say that no shots were fired.

The operation commander, Major General Lucky Avianto, said that the rescue operation took place?in an extremely difficult terrain? with a high degree of danger and time constraints? as crucial factors.

The?military shared a video on YouTube showing two dozen armed men passing through a river and forest at night. They were apparently close to the site. Another photo shows the soldiers with the rescued workers.

Papua, despite its wealth in natural resources, is Indonesia's most impoverished region. Freeport's Grasberg Mine, one of the largest gold and cobalt mines in the world, is located there. (Reporting and editing by Gibran Peshimam, Michael Perry, and Ananda Teresia)

(source: Reuters)