TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - West Papua Liberation Army - Free Papua Movement (TPNPB - OPM) claimed responsibility for the shooting in Kago Village, Ilaga District, at 13:00 Western Indonesian Time (WIB) Wednesday, March 2. The shooting killed 8 employees of telecommunication firm PT Palapa Timur Telematika (PTT).

“TPNPB under the leadership of Gen Goliath Tabuni and Major General Lekagak Telenggen are responsible for the shooting,” said the TPNPB - OPM spokesman Sebby Sambom via WhatsApp chat on Friday morning, March 4.

Sebby said there was no reason to justify the presence of civilians in the area since TPNPB had announced and asked them to immediately leave the war zone. “So all those who were shot were members of the TNI (Indonesian Military) and Polri (National Police),” he said.

He thus issued a stern warning that all immigrants should immediately leave the war area. “And all forms of development projects must be left emptied.”

Sebby also explained why TPNPB was fully responsible for this shooting. “The war order has been announced by the TPNPB General Operations Commander Major General Lekagak Telenggen in 2017 in Jambi, Puncak Jaya, Papua,” he said.

Previously, the Cenderawasih Military Command XVII spokesman Colonel Aqsha Erlangga confirmed that a number of employees of PT Palapa Timur Telematika had been shot dead while repairing Telkomsel's Tower Base Transceiver Station 3 in Kago Village.

“Eight workers of PTT died,” said Erlangga in a written statement, Thursday, March 3. He added that one worker survived the shooting by the OPM army.

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MOH KHORY ALFARIZI