The daring rescue of 11 children were saved by security forces from Bloody Massacre in Ambun Valley, Enga province of Papua New Guinea.

11 Children Saved From Bloody Massacre in Ambun Valley, Enga Province of Papua New Guinea.

SOLDIERS REUNITE CHILDREN WITH FAMILY

 Post Courier - January 26, 2023

The daring rescue of 11 children by security forces highlighted Bloody Tuesday in Ambun Valley, Enga province this week.

Enga’s police commander acting Superintendent George Kakas said yesterday the children were kidnapped from Tole village by fully armed assailants and were being driven away in a stolen ten seater when they were intercepted by police and army special forces at Anditale.

The unharmed children were later reunited with their parents and relatives in Wabag.

The incident was sparked by inter-tribal bloody killings earlier on Tuesday morning at Tole, when armed men shot and killed 11 villagers in retaliation for the killing of two men.

The rescue of the 11 children, all under the age of 10, was led by the second Royal Pacific Islands Regiment (RPIR) from Wewak, East Sepik province.

Mr Kakas confirmed that the children were rescued after a shootout occurred.

“The 11 children who were kidnapped at the place of the massacre were taken away in a stolen Landcruiser. The PNGDF team under Major Gerisa pursued the attackers and rescued the children after a shootout.

“No children were harmed and were handed over to their parents in an emotional reunion at Wabag police station,” PPC Kakas said. “Although they were severely traumatised, they were not physically harmed in any way.”

It is alleged that on Tuesday morning at around 4am, two men were attacked and killed with a high-powered firearm by another clan.

Three hours later at 7am, the tribesmen of the deceased mobilised and attacked the Piau-Kumbin community taking 11 lives, razing 8 homes and destroying food gardens.

Eye witnesses said factory made firearms, shotguns, homemade firearms, axes and bush knives were used.

Eleven children were kidnapped and loaded into a 10 seater before they were taken away to Anditale in the Ambum Valley. Soldiers and police were notified and responded quickly, safely rescuing the 11 children and reuniting them with their families.

PPC Kakas said: “I condemn the killing of innocent men, women and children in the most strongest terms. I appeal to the community at this stage to come with information on the actual perpetrators and motive behind the unprovoked attack on the innocent lives.

“From the preliminary findings, of the 11 deceased, 9 are confirmed to be from the Piau Kumbin sub-clan while another two are from the Kamanwan tribe of Kaiap village, PPC Kakas said.

An irate PPC said that all 11 men and women were innocent villagers who had no hand in any of the fighting going on within the Ambum Valley.

“The killing is allegedly a payback killing of a previous attack on two men from another area,” Mr Kakas said.

“Although social media is in a frenzy accusing the Akols and the Kombans of this incident, they have to get their facts right.

This is a very sensitive issue where we have just enforced a ceasefire to this political fight by issuing a preventive order.

“These Facebook bloggers and social media addicts should stop attempting to reignite this issue by reporting unverified statements and innuendos.

“The information is still sketchy, but what I have been informed by reliable informants and preliminary investigations, this new fighting stems from a new and isolated incident, we are still establishing the facts.

“This is because the Piau Kumbins and the Kamanwans who were killed are totally innocent and not involved in the election-related fight comprising the 7 in 1 fight (the Malipins) against the Akols.”