Security Officials Still Looking For Armed Group In Freeport Area

Jayapura, Papua, Dec 11 (Antara) - Papua Provincial Police Chief Inspector General Tito Karnavian said security officers from the Police and the Indonesian Military were still chasing an armed group following a shooting incident that took place on Mile 41 of the Freeport Area on Sunday. "We will not be sending additional officers to secure vital objects in the Freeport area because that number is fulfilled," said Tito to Antara on Wednesday. Tito said the joint security team would step up patrolling and security in area, which is prone to shooting incidents. However, Tito said, the police would also deploy a team to inspect the area. "We will send a team to inspect, but will not conduct an operation to search for the criminals," Tito stated. Tito predicted that the armed group, which had fired at a vehicle on the Mile 41 stretch, belonged to a group which often caused turmoil in the Freeport area. "We had difficulty chasing the armed group because they escaped into a dense jungle and they are better acquainted with the location than us," said Tito. The police noted that at least three cases of shooting incidents had occurred on the Mile 41 in the Freeport Area.