PNG Defence Force Commander Major-General Mark Goina says “appropriate force” will be dealt to the gunmen who ambushed and wounded two soldiers in Saugurap, Enga Province, last week.

In a statement Major-General Goina said: “A section from the PNGDF contingent deployed in Enga Province were on routine duty, conducting clearance patrol to Laiagam when it sighted a vehicle of interest in vicinity of Saugurap at around 2pm on 1 February 2023.”

The suspects upon sighting the PNGDF soldiers closing in on them got out of their vehicle and escaped into the bush with high powered weapons — M16, SLR, AK as reported.

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This prompted the troops on the scene to pursue further with subsequent clearance and search of the vehicle of interest, he said.

The intent was to search the vehicle and bring it to Wabag Police Station for further action.

“Suspects withdrew, then reinforced and fired shots at the soldiers,” Major-General Goina said.

“It was an ambush as the suspects took the high ground on both sides to their advantage. Contact lasted for under 2 hours. Suspects also cut trees to block off troops from withdrawing.

Two soldiers wounded
“During the shootout, two PNGDF personnel were wounded. One sustained an injury (bullet wound) below his chin. The other member; was shot through his mouth with an exit wound through his gum.

“The member was brought to Wabag General Hospital and underwent minor surgery the same night and is in a stable condition. Both members are from Second Royal Pacific Islands Regiment, based in Moem Barracks, Wewak, East Sepik Province.”

Major-General Goina said: “It is reported also that the vehicle of interest was the same one that was used during the killing of 11 locals in [the] vicinity of Tole/Kaiap a fortnight ago.

“As CDF, I am very concerned about ongoing criminal activities and no respect and adherence to the rule of law in the Enga Province.

“The PNGDF will not sit back and let criminal elements undermine the authority of the state.”

Collaborating with the police and in accordance with law,  Major-General Goina said, “we will deploy an appropriate force to deal with those responsible for ambushing the members of the PNGDF on [an] authorised task.”

Republished from the PNG Post-Courier with permission.

A Filipino human rights lawyer has come away uninjured after unidentified motorcyclists fired gunshots into her car on the central Philippines island of Panay, reports The Sun Star.

According to the report, Criselda Heredia was with her daughter and a client when the attack happened last month.

“I was just ambushed. Two bullet holes… There are nine bullets recovered by the police. The police however suspect that there are more,” she said in a Facebook post.

READ MORE: Duterte accused of ‘creating conditions’ leading to martial law declaration

A member of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) Heredia is an anti-mining campaigner on the island and handles pro bono cases for farmers, human rights defenders and political prisoners.

In an official statement, the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines condemned the “outright attack against Filipino human rights lawyers,” saying that it was part of an ongoing pattern of attacks.

“There is a clear pattern of vilification and harassments which then lead to political killings,” said Peter Murphy, chair of ICHRP’s Global Council.

“This only shows the continuing climate of impunity and the worsening human rights situation in the Philippines under President Duterte.”

According to NUPL, before the shooting Heredia had been receiving death threats from unidentified men visiting her office and was red-tagged in posters in a similar fashion to human rights lawyer Benjamin Ramos, who was murdered on the nearby island of Negros last year.

The statement said that this attack on Heredia brings the total number of attacks on lawyers under the Duterte administration to 61, with 49 killed and 12 survivors.

It went on to emphasise the danger that Filipinos are facing on a regular basis.

“ICHRP reiterates its commitment to redouble our campaigns to alert the international community of the massive repression of the basic rights of the Filipino people that are continually taking place,” said Murphy.

“We are also calling on all human rights defenders and advocates to denounce the looming fascism of President Rodrigo Duterte’s government and to support the Filipino people’s struggle for justice.”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed that at least 40 people have died in the terrorist attack on two mosques in the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch today, and offered a moving statement to those affected.

Police later gave the death toll as 50 with a further 50 people wounded in the attacks.

In a press conference from Parliament about 7.25pm, Ardern said it was now clear that this could only be described as a terrorist attack and New Zealand’s threat level had been raised from low to high.

READ MORE: David Fisher analysis: Christchurch massacre – what did we miss and who missed it?

“It is with extreme sadness that I tell you that as of 7pm tonight we believe that 40 people have lost their lives,” she said.

“Ten people have lost their lives in this act of extreme violence at Linwood mosque … a further 30 have lost their lives at the Deans Avenue Mosque.

“It does appear to have been well planned. Two explosive devices attached to suspects’ vehicles have been found and they have been disarmed.”

She said of the four suspects originally arrested, three were connected to the attack and at least one had stated he was Australian-born. His nationality was something Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also confirmed.

‘Place of safety’
Prime Minister Ardern shared a message with the families and communities of the victims:

“Our thoughts and our prayers are with those who have been impacted today. Christchurch was the home of these victims. For many, New Zealand was not the place they were born, in fact for many New Zealand was their choice.

“It was the place they committed themselves to, where they were raising their families, where they were part of communities that they loved and who loved them. It was a place that many came to for its safety, a place where they were free to practice their culture and their religion.

“For those of you who are watching at home tonight and questioning how this could have happened here, we, New Zealand, we are not a target because we are a safe harbour for those who hate, we were not chosen for this violence because we condone racism, because we are an enclave for extremism, we were chosen for the fact we represent none of these things. Because we represent diversity, kindness, compassion, a home for those who share our values, refuge for those who need it.

“And those values, I can assure you, will not and cannot be shaken by this attack. We are a proud nation of more than 200 ethnicities, 160 languages and amongst that diversity we share common values and the one that we place the currency on right now and tonight is our compassion and the support for the community of those directly affected by this tragedy

“Secondly, the strongest possible condemnation of the ideology for those who did this … we utterly reject and condemn you.”

Armed police deployed
Armed New Zealand police had earlier been deployed after shots were fired at the two mosques where hundreds of people were praying near Hagley Park in Christchurch this afternoon.

Prime Minister Ardern earlier described the shootings as one of New Zealand’s “darkest days”.

Key points:

• There were two shooting attacks – at the Masjid Al Noor Mosque next to Hagley Park, and at the Linwood Masjid Mosque in the suburb of Linwood. The two mosques are about a 10 minute drive.
• An eyewitness inside the Masjid Al Noor Mosque said he heard shots fired and said at least four people were lying on the ground and “there was blood everywhere”.
• An eyewitness said a man wearing a helmet and glasses and a military style jacket opened fire inside the mosque with an automatic weapon.
• About 300 people were inside the mosque for afternoon prayers.
• Police said the “risk environment remains extremely high”.
• The manager of the An-Nur Early Childhood centre in Wigram earlier said police gave some parents an update that said there were two gunmen and at least one was on the loose.
• People in central Christchurch have been urged to stay indoors and report any suspicious behaviour immediately to 111.
• All Christchurch schools, Christchurch Hospital and Christchurch City Council buildings were put on lockdown.

This article is republished under the Pacific Media Centre’s content partnership with Radio New Zealand.

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An eyewitness on Strickland Street, Christchurch, saw one of the suspects being apprehended by police. She said police deliberately rammed the car. Video: RNZ

Footage of the arrest of one of the mosque attackers in Christchurch today. Video: Al Jazeera

First Brigadier Berry Pramana Putra, a member of the National Police’s Mobile Brigade stationed in Timika, Papua, has been killed in an exchange of fire with unidentified gunmen on Utikini bridge, Tembagapura, Mimika regency.

The Jakarta Post reports that Berry died yesterday during a pursuit of armed assailants who were allegedly behind a shooting incident in the mining area of US-based PT Freeport Indonesia at Mile 60 to 67, Papua police Chief Inspector General Boy Rafli Amar said today.

“The victim died on the scene while Mobile Brigade members were in an exchange of fire with an armed criminal group on Utikini bridge, a day after the group shot at two patrol vehicles owned by PT Freeport,” he said in Jayapura.

He alleged the group was behind security disturbances in Freeport’s mining area. He also suspected it was the same group who seized two Steyr assault rifles and ammunition from members of the Mobile Brigade two years ago, as the same weapons were believed to have been used in the shooting that killed Berry.

The allegations arose from the bullet casings found at the scene.

‘Group identified’
“We have identified the group, although we will not yet publish the name of the group,” Chief Inspector Boy added.

No additional security personnel would be added despite the incidents, he said, adding that police would handle the issue in accordance with law enforcement procedures to end the security disturbances in Papua.

The Papua police delivered the body of First Brigadier Berry to his hometown in Bengkulu in a release ceremony led by Boy. As Berry had died on duty, the police also granted him a posthumous promotion to one level above his rank.

Nethy Dharma Somba is a reporter for The Jakarta Post.

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