After New Zealand pilot, rebels in Papua New Guinean kidnap Australian professor, local research team

Papua New Guinea: An Australian university professor has been taken hostage in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea’s prime minister has confirmed. The Australian man is an archaeologist who works for an Australian university and was accompanied on a field trip by several Papua New Guinean students from a local university who were also taken hostage, two sources with knowledge of the incident told Reuters. Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape told local reporters on Monday that police and the military were on stand-by, and the government was working with missionaries who were acting as mediators. “We want those criminals to release those who are held in captivity,” he said in comments broadcast on ABC Television. “There is no place to run, there is no place to hide,” Marape added. The man has not been publicly identified because of the sensitivity of the situation. A source in Papua New Guinea told Reuters on Monday morning the situation was in “a crucial moment” and they could not comment further. It is believed a ransom has been demanded. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Earlier in the last week, the Papua New Guinean rebels had taken a New Zealand pilot as hostage along with his plane. The pilot is reportedly still with the rebels who had stated that they will only release the pilot if Indonesian military leaves their land. Must Read: In Pics: Using him as leverage, Indonesian separatists refuse to release captured New Zealand pilot Indonesia’s easternmost provinces including the Papua New Guinea have been wracked with a low-level battle for independence since the resource-rich region was controversially brought under Indonesian control in a vote overseen by the United Nations in 1969. The conflict has escalated significantly since 2018, with pro-independence fighters mounting deadlier and more frequent attacks. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.