JAKARTA, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia initiated a joint operation to hunt down the militants killing a police personnel after taken him hostage in easternmost province of Papua, a police spokesperson said here on Monday.
"Currently the process to evacuate the body of the killed policeman and the hunting down the criminal armed group around the location are conducted by police and military joint personnel," said Indonesia Police Headquarters Spokesperson Dedi Prasetyo.
He added the deceased policeman obtained a rank upgrade for his extraordinary service during his service.
The policeman, identified as Heidar, was abducted during his duty to investigate a case in Papua's Puncak regency area of Sungai Usir. He was found dead after negotiations with the abductor armed group met a deadlock, Prasetyo said.
Violence against police, military personnel and civilians carried out by Papua separatist groups has been rising in the past several months in the restive province.
The Papua separatist militias slain dozens of Trans Papua road project workers in December last year.
