SYDNEY, Feb 26 — An Australian pilot and two local workers kidnapped at gunpoint in the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea today were released just hours later, according to police.

The helicopter pilot and passengers had landed at a remote telecommunications site near Mount Sisa in Hela province when an armed group took them away at gunpoint this afternoon, Papua New Guinea police commissioner David Manning said in a statement.

After several hours of negotiations with the armed group, the captives were released safe and unharmed, he said in a second statement shortly afterwards.

Police had been cleared to use lethal force against the kidnappers although they did not say whether they had resorted to violence.

The trio were kidnapped in the same province where almost a year ago to the day an Australian archaeologist and two Papua New Guinean researchers were taken and held for more than a week until a ransom was paid.

Australia’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. — Reuters