Police Report Another Shootout With Armed Groups in Papua

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Cartenz peace operation task force spokesperson commissioner general Ahmad Kamal on Sunday announced that a shooting took place at a local settlement at Papua’s Omukia and Ilaga District at the Puncak Regency.

Citing Antaranews, the spokesperson explains that two houses belonging to locals were burned in the incident which took place after a member of the Indonesian police-military joint team approached the location. They then heard shots fired, which led to a shootout between authorities and local armed criminal groups (KKB) from morning-noon.

Authorities also evacuated local residents in the area and continued to a shooting with the armed group in the vicinity of a local airport. According to Kamal, the armed group burned down a local housing area and two alleged armed group members had been armed with long rifles.

The KKB in Papua’s Puncak Regency spread across three locations; within the Aminggaru airport, Nipuraleme, and Pingli. “The KKB no longer just target authorities and migrants, but also local Papuans,” said the police spokesperson. 

Previously on January 27, three Indonesian Army personnel were killed in a shootout with the local criminal armed group in Puncak Regency’s Gome District. 

Read: Papua Closes Aminggaru Airport Following Shooting of TNI Soldier

ANTARA