The incident occurred Wednesday around 8:25 a.m. local time when a 15-vehicle convoy—comprising 13 buses, a tow truck, and a box truck—was traveling along a mining road from Mile Point 68 toward Timika, the capital of Mimika District.
Gunfire struck three vehicles, including two buses and a tow truck, near Mile Point 60 in the Tembagapura area.
No casualties or injuries were reported.
Joint personnel from the regional police and the Damai Cartenz security task force conducted a crime-scene investigation, recovering vehicle glass fragments, metal debris, and three 5.56-millimeter bullet casings near the location.
"The suspected perpetrators are still under investigation," said Yusuf Sutejo, head of the public information unit for the 2026 Damai Cartenz Operation, adding that authorities have not yet identified a responsible group.
Law enforcement has secured all evidence as investigations continue into the motive behind the attack.
Translator: Marselinus N, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Jayapura, Jubi — The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) Regional Defence Command (Kodap) XVI Yahukimo has declared a period of national mourning after four of its members were killed in a gunfight with a joint Indonesian military and police team in Gunung Street, Dekai District, Yahukimo Regency, Highland Papua Province, on 1 September 2026.
TPNPB-OPM (Free Papua Movement) spokesperson Sebby Sambom said the four men were members of the Edensawi Battalion.
“TPNPB Central Command management has received an official report from TPNPB Kodap XVI Yahukimo Operations Commander Major Kopitua Heluka from the battlefield in Yahukimo, officially announcing national mourning to all parties following the deaths of four TPNPB Kodap XVI Yahukumo members,” Sambom said in an electronic message on Thursday (03/09/2026).
Sambom identified those killed as Marsel Helembo, 21; Eris Hubusa, 18; Alpius, also known as Moso Sama, 22; and Ampol, also known as Ampuluak Yual, 21.
“We officially announce national mourning to all TPNPB forces across the 36 Kodap commands in Tanah Papua and to Papuan independence fighters wherever they are following the deaths of four TPNPB Kodap XVI Yahukimo members from the Edensawi Battalion in the fighting in Yahukimo on 1 September 2026,” he said.
Sambom said the TPNPB also expressed its gratitude to the parents, relatives and families of the four men for allowing them to join the TPNPB Kodap XVI Yahukimo forces.
“We also thank everyone who transported the bodies of the TPNPB members from Dekai Regional Hospital for their burial ceremony in Yahukimo on Wednesday, 2 September 2026,” Sambom said.
The gunfight between TPNPB members and Indonesian military and police personnel occurred after the Damai Cartenz-2026 Task Force and Yahukimo Police raided a house allegedly being used as a hideout by the group on Tuesday (01/09/2026).
According to police, the raid was linked to several alleged criminal offences committed by a number of people over several years. Those individuals were reportedly on Indonesia’s wanted list.
“The operation was part of law enforcement efforts against individuals suspected of being involved in a number of criminal offences in the Yahukimo region,” said Commissioner Yusuf Sutejo, head of public relations for the Damai Cartenz-2026 Operation, on Wednesday (02/09/2026).
(*)
Sorong, Jubi — Residents of Baros village in Klasafet District, Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua Province, are struggling to access clean water after the flow of water from several wells — their main source of clean water — declined.
Some wells have even dried up during a prolonged dry season that has affected the area for several months.
Baros village head Ever Krimadi said many residents’ wells run dry during the dry season.
“This has become a serious problem because people still need water every day. Clean water is a basic necessity,” Krimadi said on Wednesday (3 September 2026).
He called on the Sorong Regency Government to help residents meet their clean water needs.
“People need clean water for drinking, cooking, bathing and washing. Therefore, access to clean water must be a priority for the government,” he said.
Krimadi said both the regency and provincial governments should build clean water infrastructure for people in villages, including Baros.
He said access to clean water should be made a development priority.
“We need clean water infrastructure that can actually be used by the community. The government needs to come and see the conditions in the village firsthand and assess what people need,” he said.
He said any clean water infrastructure should have an adequate and reliable water source and be capable of operating over the long term.
He also called for clear maintenance systems to ensure residents do not face another clean water crisis in the future.
Krimadi said providing communities with reliable access to clean water would also improve their health and quality of life.
“We are asking the government to pay attention to our need for clean water infrastructure. This is a basic community need. We hope the regency, provincial and national governments will take this issue seriously,” Krimadi said.
He said the government should urgently identify villages struggling with access to clean water and build infrastructure capable of withstanding dry seasons, so residents do not have to face the same problem every year.
(*)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.