PNG army tries to confirm details in Indonesian boat incident
The Papua New Guinea Defence Force says it’s still trying to ascertain details about an incident involving one of its patrol boats and five Indonesian fishermen who went missing in PNG waters.
The Indonesian navy has intensified sea patrols off Merauke, near the PNG border, after ten fishermen were reportedly intercepted by a PNG Defence Force vessel for breaching border rules.
Media reports in Indonesia say PNG defence force personnel brought the fishermen on board their vessel before setting the boat on fire.
Police in Papua province claim that the fishermen were then told to jump into the sea, five kilometres from the coast, but five of them were unable to reach the shore.
Indonesia’s navy has been searching for the missing fishermen.
A spokesman for the PNG Defence Force says it cannot confirm these details yet but has dispatched a team to the border area to investigate the incident.
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