TEMPO.CO, Jayapura - A twelve-year old girl from Tion City, Papua died in a shootout between the joint-forces of Indonesian National Army (TNI) and the National Police (Polri) and the National Defense Army of the Free Papua Movement on Monday afternoon, July 1.

"The victim died from a bullet wound, but we still don’t know whether she was shot by the TNI or by the armed groups," Lt. Col. Inf. Simanjuntak Jansen, Cenderawasih XVII military command spokesman, on said Tuesday, July 2.

Jansen said that the shootout broke on the edge of Tiom City when the TNI-Polri joint forces were chasing an OPM group presumably led by Purom Okinak Wenda.

"It was getting dark. On the way back to town, suddenly there was gunfire. Our members immediately fired back," he said. After the officers and soldiers arrived in Tiom, Jansen added, news came that a little girl was shot.

The TNI and Polri pursuit the Puron Wenda group after they allegedly attacked and burned the Pirime Sectoral Police office and shot three officers on November 27 last year. In the attack, the perpetrators also stole a revolver and two rifles from the officers.

According to Jansen, the TNI is now investigating the death of Arlince. The little girl was the daughter of a missionary family in Popome Village in Tiom.

JERRY OMONA