Three airlines have, so far, notified their readiness to operate on Wednesday, Head of the Ilaga Airport Operator Herman Sujito told ANTARA on being contacted from Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province.
Sam Air, Smart Air, and Rimbun Air restarted their flight operations, though until 07:30 a.m. local time, none of the airplanes had landed at the Aminggaru Airport, Sujito stated.
On Tuesday, the airport authority had offered limited services to civilian aircraft to fulfill the request of security agencies that had continued to launch law enforcement operations against the armed separatist terrorists, he remarked.
The Aminggaru Airport serves some 50 takeoffs and landings daily, Sujito pointed out.
Following the death of Indonesia's top agent in an ambush on April 25, 2021, the security personnel raided an armed Papuan separatist terrorist group's headquarters in Makki Village, Ilaga Sub-district, on Monday and Tuesday.
In the gunfights, five rebels got killed, while a member of the Nemangkawi Task Force, a joint team of the Indonesian military and police, died on duty.
Over the course of these past four months, Papua has borne the brunt of a string of violent attacks by armed separatist terrorist groups targeting innocent civilians in districts, such as Puncak and Intan Jaya.
The armed groups often employ hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel while unleashing acts of terror against civilians to trigger fear among people.
Ojek drivers, teachers, students, and street food vendors, among others, have fallen victims to their terror acts. They also attacked civilian aircraft.
In the evening of April 11, 2021, several armed Papuan separatist terrorists torched a parked PT Ersa Air helicopter awaiting repair at the Ilaga Airport in Puncak District.
Consequently, the outer hull of the helicopter caught fire. The ill-fated helicopter was parked at the airport since March 31, 2021, whilst awaiting the arrival of necessary spare parts to solve its engine problem.
On January 6, 2021, some 10 armed Papuans had also vandalized and torched a Quest Kodiak aircraft belonging to the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) at the Pagamba village airstrip.
The armed men, led by Sabinus Waker, reportedly set the utility aircraft ablaze shortly after its American pilot Alek Luferchek disembarked two passengers.
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Evarukdijati, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
