Papua Post

  YAHUKIMO, PAPUA HIGHLANDS — A 32-year-old contract worker in the radiology department of Dekai Regional General Hospital, identified by the initials LM, was stabbed by two unidentified assailants in Yahukimo Regency, Papua Highlands. Officers from the Damai Cartenz-2026 Operation suspect that the two attackers may be linked to the Kodap XVI Yahukimo armed group led by Kopi Tua Heluka, commonly referred to by Indonesian authorities as the Armed Criminal Group (KKB). The attack occurred on Friday, October 23, 2026, at approximately 7:30 p.m. local time near the teachers' residential complex of SMA Negeri 1 Dekai. The victim was sitting behind a kiosk when two individuals suddenly attacked him with a sharp weapon. Authorities are investigating the incident and pursuing leads to identify and apprehend those responsible. Sudden Attack Leaves Victim with Two Stab Wounds Damai Cartenz-2026 Operation Public Relations Task Force Chief, Commissioner Yusuf Sutejo, explained that the victim...

  YAHUKIMO, PAPUA HIGHLANDS — Law enforcement authorities, through the Damai Cartenz-2026 Operation Task Force and Yahukimo Police, are continuing to investigate the stabbing of LM, a 32-year-old contract worker in the radiology department of Dekai Regional General Hospital. Security authorities are working to identify and apprehend the two suspected attackers while investigating possible links to the Kodap XVI Yahukimo armed group led by Kopi Tua Heluka. Indonesian authorities refer to such groups as Kelompok Kriminal Bersenjata (KKB), or armed criminal groups. The incident occurred on Friday, October 23, 2026, at approximately 7:30 p.m. local time, behind a kiosk near the teachers' residential complex of SMA Negeri 1 Dekai. The victim sustained two stab wounds and was taken to hospital for medical treatment. Following the report, officers examined the scene, collected witness statements, secured physical evidence, and expanded their investigation to identify and pursue the susp...

  NDUGA, PAPUA HIGHLANDS – Indonesian military personnel were involved in an armed clash with a group suspected of belonging to the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) near Nonggoloit Village, Kenyam District, Nduga Regency, Papua Highlands, on Friday, October 23, 2026. Two individuals suspected of being members of the armed group were reportedly killed. The troops also seized several items of evidence, including IDR 88 million in cash and various weapons. The incident occurred while personnel from Task Force Rajawali VI, Detachment 1, under the Habema Military Operations Command, were conducting a territorial patrol. According to Brigadier General Riyanto, Commander of the Habema Military Operations Command, the patrol followed information about the suspected presence of an armed group near a residential area. Gunfire Erupts During Security Patrol Brigadier General Riyanto explained that, according to the report received by the military, members of the group allegedly fired at the personn...

JAYAPURA, PAPUA — A joint team from the Damai Cartenz Operation Task Force (Satgas ODC) and the Papua Regional Police (Polda Papua) has arrested two individuals suspected of involvement in a firearms and ammunition distribution network allegedly supplying an armed criminal group (KKB). The arrests took place in the Perumnas III residential area of Waena, Heram District, Jayapura City, on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Head of Public Relations for the Damai Cartenz Operation Task Force, Police Commissioner Yusuf Sutejo, said the arrests of RS, 37, and SW, 33, were part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged circulation of firearms and ammunition. Both individuals were taken to Papua Regional Police headquarters for further questioning. Investigation Leads to Two More Individuals According to Yusuf, the arrests are connected to a police report dated March 13, 2026. Previously, on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, the joint team arrested an individual identified by the initials H, also known ...

  YAHUKIMO, PAPUA HIGHLANDS — The security situation in Dekai, Yahukimo Regency, has drawn attention after the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), through its Yahukimo Regional Defense Command XVI (Kodap XVI), claimed responsibility for a series of attacks reportedly beginning on October 12, 2026. However, the group’s claims differ from statements by the Damai Cartenz-2026 Task Force, which said that victims in two separate incidents in Dekai were civilians, rather than security personnel as alleged by TPNPB. These conflicting accounts highlight the importance of further investigation and verification to establish the facts. TPNPB Claims Responsibility for a Series of Attacks In a report published by Fajar Papua on October 14, 2026, TPNPB spokesperson Sebby Sambom said Kodap XVI Yahukimo was responsible for attacks targeting four people whom the group accused of being security personnel and Indonesian military intelligence agents. According to the group’s statement, the i...

  MAYBRAT, SOUTHWEST PAPUA — The Indonesian Military (TNI) has arrested Zakarias Fatem, identified as the deputy commander of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) Kodap IV/Sorong Raya, in Maybrat Regency, Southwest Papua. Following his arrest, Zakarias reportedly declared his return to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) and called on other OPM members and sympathizers to surrender. The information was disclosed by Lieutenant Colonel (Marines) Laili Nugroho, commander of the Marine Infantry Battalion Task Force 9, as reported by detikNews on Friday, October 16, 2026. According to the report, Zakarias also urged OPM members and sympathizers to lay down their weapons and return to Indonesia. <Cite refs={["turn503708view0"]}/> Arrest in Aifat Timur Followed by Call to Return to Indonesia Zakarias Fatem was arrested in Aifat Timur District, Maybrat Regency, on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Following his arrest, he reportedly called on OPM members and sympathi...

  MAYBRAT, SOUTHWEST PAPUA — Three people suspected of belonging to the armed group known as the Free Papua Organization (OPM), including a man identified by Indonesian military authorities as the group's operations commander, were reportedly killed in an exchange of gunfire with joint Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel in Maybrat Regency, Southwest Papua, on Friday, October 9, 2026. The operation took place in a forested area north of Kamat Village, East Aifat District, during a joint patrol operation. Brigadier General Riyanto, Commander of the TNI Habema Operations Command, said preliminary identification indicated that one of those killed was Manfret Fatem, described by the military as the Operations Commander of OPM Kodap IV/Sorong Raya. The identities of the other two individuals were still being verified, according to the official information reported by ANTARA. Exchange of Fire Occurred During Joint Patrol According to the TNI Habema Operations Command, the e...

  JAYAPURA, PAPUA — The 2026 Operation Damai Cartenz Task Force, working with the Papua Regional Police Criminal Investigation Directorate, has arrested another man identified by the initials IHB, also known as H, aged 23, who was on a wanted list in connection with an alleged illegal firearms and ammunition network in Jayapura. The arrest is part of an investigation that began in March 2026 and, according to police, has resulted in 17 people being detained in connection with the case. Operation Damai Cartenz 2026 Public Relations Task Force Chief, Police Commissioner Yusuf Sutejo, said IHB was arrested on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at approximately 1:34 p.m. local time in the Padang Bulan area of Heram District, Jayapura City. The arrest followed an investigation into suspected firearms and ammunition transactions allegedly intended to supply an armed criminal group (KKB) in Papua. Arrest of Wanted Suspect Advances Investigation into Illegal Arms Network According to police, IHB a...

  MAYBRAT, SOUTHWEST PAPUA — Efforts to restore the lives of communities affected by conflict in Southwest Papua have taken an important step forward. The Papua Representative Office of Indonesia’s National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has facilitated the return of several displaced residents, particularly women and children, who had reportedly spent approximately six years sheltering in the forests of Maybrat Regency. Their return marks an important step toward restoring family and community life while creating opportunities to rebuild access to education, public services, and everyday activities. Frits Ramandey, head of the Papua Representative Office of Komnas HAM, said the institution had acted as a negotiator and facilitator to support the residents’ return. The process involved coordination with the regional government, police, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), and church representatives. This cooperation highlights the importance of cross-institutional coo...

  TIMIKA, CENTRAL PAPUA — Indonesian authorities have uncovered an alleged illegal ammunition distribution operation in Mimika Regency, Central Papua. The Damai Cartenz 2026 Task Force detained three people identified by the initials DRW (24), PY (23), and GT (25) on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Authorities seized 71 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition in connection with the case, along with a motorcycle and a mobile phone. The investigation remains ongoing as officers examine the respective roles of the three individuals and investigate whether other parties may have been involved. Damai Cartenz Task Force Detains Three People in Mimika The three individuals were detained as part of an investigation into the alleged possession and distribution of ammunition. Head of the 2026 Damai Cartenz Operation, Inspector General of Police Faizal Ramadhani, said the arrests were part of the ongoing law-enforcement process. Investigators are continuing to examine evidence to establish the role of ea...

  JAKARTA — Violence attributed to armed criminal groups (KKB) in several parts of Papua has once again drawn attention. Amid reports of shootings targeting civilians and continued security disturbances, efforts to establish lasting peace require cross-sector coordination combining security measures, law enforcement, public services, and development. Joint TNI-Polri personnel continue law enforcement efforts against armed groups while also working to disrupt weapons and ammunition networks. These measures are part of efforts to prevent armed groups from maintaining the capability to carry out violence against local communities. Okezone report KKB Violence Increasingly Affects Civilians Reports of violence in Papua indicate that civilians continue to face security risks. Okezone reported that three civil servants from the Jayawijaya Agriculture Service in the Papua Highlands — Wili Mbuik, Aprida Rapi, and Alfonsius Albinus Meha — were reportedly shot. Violence against civilians aff...

  TOLIKARA — The National Command of the West Papua National Liberation Army (KOMNAS TPNPB-OPM), through its spokesperson Sebby Sambom, issued a statement directed at civil servants (ASN) and migrant residents in Tolikara Regency. In a press statement dated October 2, 2026, the group called on civil servants and migrant residents to leave areas it claims as its operational territory before an armed operation takes place. Go Indonesia report The statement has raised concerns about civilian safety and the continuity of public services in Tolikara. Threats of violence against people based on their place of origin, occupation, or perceived association with the government represent a serious concern requiring preventive measures and a response consistent with the law. Threats Target Civil Servants and Migrant Residents According to Go Indonesia, the TPNPB-OPM statement specifically mentioned several occupations commonly carried out by migrant residents, including taxi drivers, motorcyc...