TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The national armed forces (TNI) and police joint team has found four victims of an attack done by the suspected armed group in Kali Yigi-Kali Auruk, Yigi District, Nduga Regency, Papua. The four victims managed to escape and survived the attack.

“The four survivors were Martinus Sampe, an Istaka Karya employee, suffering gunshot wound to his left leg, Jefrianton, an Istaka Karya employee, suffering gunshot wound to his left eyelid, Irawan, a Telkomsel employee, and John, a public health center officer,” said the Head of Public Relations of the Papua Regional Police Senior Comm. Ahmad Musthofa Kamal through an official statement on Tuesday, December 4.

The four survivors have been evacuated to Wamena, Jayawijaya.

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Based on information from the four survivors, the TNI post in the Mbuma District was destroyed by the armed group's attack. One TNI member died in this incident, while the conditions of 31 other project workers were unknown.

Kamal suspected that the mastermind behind the killing of 31 Istaka Karya workers was an armed group led by Egianus Kogoya. The Egianus group is known to often carry out a series of shooting in the Papua. Egianus once took hostage dozens of teachers and health workers in the Mapenduma, Nduga, in October.

The shooting of the Istaka Karya workers took place on December 2, around 3:30 p.m., in Kali Yigi and Kali Aura, Yigi District, Nduga Regency, Papua.

To date, the police together with the TNI are still trying to discover the whereabouts of the victims in these two places; Kali Yigi and Kali Aura. Based on information gathered, the death toll allegedly reached 31 people.

ANDITA RAHMA