Terrorist inmates at Indonesian prison free officer

By Ainur Rohmah

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) – Armed terrorist inmates at a maximum-security detention center in Indonesia’s West Java province released a police officer Thursday who was among those taken hostage following a riot that left six dead.

"Brigadier Iwan Sarjana has been successfully released,” National Police spokesman Inspector Gen. Setyo Wasisto said at a press conference as quoted by the Kompas.com news site.

Sarjana was freed Wednesday around midnight after police met a request from the inmates for food supplies.

"The release took place after negotiations. They asked for food, so we persuaded them to release [a hostage] first," said Wasisto.

He said Sarjana suffered injuries and bruises to his face and body and has been hospitalized.

Sarjana and five of his colleagues were taken hostage Tuesday night when a standoff developed into a hostage situation between inmates and prison officials at the National Police's Mobile Brigade detention center in Depok, which houses imprisoned Daesh militants.

The five officers were killed along with one terrorist inmate during the clashes.

Wasisto said a team of negotiators is still in talks with the terrorist inmates because they are in possession of several guns seized from police during the riot.