The evacuees were transported aboard a Caracal transport military helicopter to the capital of Papua Province for medical treatment at the Marthen Indey Hospital.
The health workers rescued are identified as Lukas Luji, Marthinus Deni Setya, Siti Khotijah, Dr.Restu Pamanggi, Marselinus Ola Atanila, Patra, Emanuel Abi, Katrianti Tandila, and Kristina Sampe Tonapa.
On Monday morning (Sept 13), several members of the Lamek Tablo-led separatist terrorist group reportedly torched several public facilities, including a public health center, and homes in Kiwirok.
The separatist terrorists also engaged in a gunfight with Indonesian security personnel during which one army personnel sustained minor injuries on his right arm after a bullet ricocheted and struck him.
The wounded army member was identified as 1st Private Ansar, who belonged to the 403/WP Infantry Battalion.
Shortly after arriving in Jayapura, one of the evacuees, Marselinus Ola Atanila, 35, told local journalists about his life-threatening event along with his workmates in Kiwirok.
Atanila recalled that he and other health workers had heard about the terrorists' plan to attack an army post.
They, however, decided to stay put at the Kiwirok public health center to continue to provide healthcare services to those in need.
Instead of being treated as a neutral party, the notorious terrorists suddenly pelted stones at the public health center and torched it as well as houses where the health workers resided, Atanila remarked.
Due to the alarming situation, he and his three female workmates decided to rush out of their workplace to save their lives. They were chased and assaulted by the notorious Papuan terrorists, Atanila stated.
For the sake of survival, he jumped into a ravine, but the armed Papuan terrorists kept chasing him and his workmates, including Gabriela Meilan, who died after being tortured and sustaining serious injuries, he remarked.
Regarding this incident, Commanding Officer of the 1715 Yahukimo District Military Command Lt Col Christian Irreuw held members of the Lamek Tablo-led armed group responsible for the acts of terror in Kiwirok.
The separatist terrorists not only torched several public facilities and houses in Kiwirok Sub-district, but they also got involved in a gunfight with several Indonesian security personnel, he noted.
Before launching their acts of terror in Kiwirok, the separatist terrorists recently set some backhoes of state-owned construction company PT Wijaya Karya (WIKA) on fire.
According to Irreuw, they torched the backhoes, used for the Oksibil-Towe Hitam road construction project, to avenge the arrests of two members, who had attempted to smuggle five firearms into Papua from PNG on September 2, 2021.
Members of the Lamek Tablo-led separatist terrorist group might have headed to Batom Sub-district in Pegunungan Bintang District, he stated.
Kiwirok and Batom are among the sub-districts of Pegunungan Bintang District that are located near the Indonesia-PNG land border.
Related news: Lamek Tablo-led armed group held responsible for Kiwirok's terror acts
Related news: Search on for two missing healthcare workers in Papua: army
Related news: Two Papua bank employees evacuated from Kiwirok over safety concerns
Translator: Evarukdijati, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
