Papua New Guinea: Australian professor, fellow researchers freed after week-long abduction

A professor from Australia and his fellow researchers have been freed from captivity more than a week after they were abducted in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.

A second woman who had been abducted and taken hostage was released two days ago.

James Marape, the prime minister of Papua New Guinea, praised the people, local authorities, the police, and the military in a Facebook post after the hostages were released.

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"We apologise to the families of those taken as hostages for ransom, it took us a while but the last three have been successfully returned through covert operations," he wrote.

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Professor Bryce Barker, who is an Australian resident and New Zealand citizen, was held withfellow members of his research team Cathy Alex, Jemina Haro and PhD student Teppsy Beni.

The crew was conducting fieldwork in a remote area of PNG's highlands close to Mount Bosavi, on the boundary of the Hela and Southern Highlands provinces, when they were abducted by a criminal gang from the Hela Province who demanded a ransom for their release.

(With inputs from agencies)

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