Agent's Death Not A Retreat Against Armed Terrorists in Papua: BIN

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Deputy VII, Wawan Hari Purwanto, stated on Monday, April 26, that the Intelligence officers and security personnel will never retreat from fighting armed separatist and terrorist groups following Indonesia's top Papuan agent Brig. Gen. I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha's death in a Sunday gunfight in Puncak.

"This incident will not deal a blow to the mentality and morale of the intelligence officers and security personnel in tackling all types of national security threats," said Purwanto.

The fall of the BIN-Papua Office head on duty has evidently demonstrated the sacrifice of Indonesian intelligence officers in defending the country's sovereignty, he remarked.

"This incident has also become a symbol of BIN's services in enforcing laws as a front liner in the national security system," he remarked, adding that Nugraha was awarded posthumous promotion by granting him a rank higher than that held at the time of his death.

A military funeral will be held for Nugraha at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery on Tuesday, Purwanto stated.

Papua Police Chief Insp. Gen. Mathius Fakhiri had stated earlier that this fallen BIN agent died of gunshot wounds in Dambet Village, Beoga Sub-district, Puncak District, on Sunday at 3:50 p.m. local time.

Nugraha had visited the village along with seven security personnel at about 9:20 a.m. local time aboard four motorcycles. During the stay in the village, he got shot during the gunfight.

Dambet Village is some three kilometers away from Beoga. It recently came under attack by the armed Papuan criminals, who had set ablaze several houses of innocent civilians and elementary school buildings.

Over these past four months, Papua has borne the brunt of a string of violent attacks by the armed groups targeting civilians in districts, such as Puncak and Intan Jaya.

The armed groups often employ hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel while unleashing acts of terror against civilians to instill a sense of fear among the people.

Among the victims of their acts of terror are motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, teachers, students, and street food vendors. They also attacked civilian aircraft.

On January 6, 2021, for instance, some 10 armed Papuans vandalized and torched a Quest Kodiak aircraft belonging to the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) at the Pagamba Village airstrip.

They continued their campaign of terror by shooting a 32-year-old man at close range in Bilogai Village, Sugapa Sub-district, on February 8, 2021.

The victim, identified by his initials as RNR, sustained gunshot wounds on the face and right shoulder and was taken to the Timika Public Hospital in Mimika District on February 9.

On February 9, 2021, six armed Papuans fatally stabbed an ojek driver.

On April 8, 2021, several armed Papuan rebels reportedly opened fire at a kiosk in Julukoma Village, Beoga Sub-district, Puncak District, at about 9:30 a.m. local time.

The shooting resulted in the death of a Beoga public elementary school teacher, Oktovianus Rayo.

After killing Rayo, the armed attackers torched three classrooms at the Beoga public senior high school.

On April 9, 2021, armed rebels reportedly shot another teacher, Yonatan Randen, on the chest.

Several villagers tried to save the junior high school teacher and rushed him to the Beoga public health center, but he succumbed to his injuries.

The armed criminals operating in Beoga Sub-district continued with their spate of killings by torching nine classrooms at the Beoga public junior high school on April 11, 2021.

Four days after burning the school building down, the armed criminals killed Ali Mom, a student of the Ilaga public senior high school in Beoga Sub-district.

Read: Papua BIN Chief Killed, Jokowi Orders TNI-Polri to Hunt Down Armed Group

ANTARA