Trigana Air's Twin Otter shot while landing in Kenyam, Papua

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- A Twin Otter aircraft belonging to Trigana Air was shot by members of armed criminal group (KKB) at Kenyam airport, Nduga District, Papua Province, on Monday at around 10 a.m. local time. Senior Commissioner Kamal, spokesman of the Papua Police, confirmed the case while being contacted by Antara, on Monday.

The aircraft, being charted by the Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob), landed in Kenyam at 9:40 a.m. local time after flying from Wamena. While on its way to park, the plane was shot, and its pilot Ahmad Abdillah Kamil was injured in the back.

"The victim, the pilot, has received medical treatment," he added.

The separatists apparently opened fire from the left side of the plane as the pilot was seated on the left side of the aircraft," he remarked.

Several police and military personnel tried to chase the shooters, he revealed.

Meanwhile, chief of the Trigana Air office in Jayapura Toro, told Antara in Jayapura that the Twin Otter flights, coded PK-YRU, carried 18 personnel who were to be deployed to guard the gubernatorial election (pilkada) to be held on June 27, 2018. He explained that the injured pilot could not be evacuated due to the shooting in Kenyam, he elaborated.

Last Friday, on June 22, 2018, a Twin Otter plane, owned by Demonim, was also shot while landing in Kenyam, injuring the right leg of pilot Irene Nur Farida. Besides, on Monday (June 25), three civilians were shot dead and two others were injured by members of an armed criminal group (KKB) near Kenyam Airport.

The bodies of the three civilians were taken to the local police, but information on the two injured residents was not available. The civilians, who were attacked by the separatists, lived near the Kenyam airport area.