NDUGA — The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) has claimed responsibility for the killing of a number of army members in Paro, Nduga, in the mountains of Papua. Separatists claimed they killed eight army members in the attack.
TPNPB spokesman Sebby Sambom stated that the attack was carried out by TPNPB Ndugama forces under the leadership of Perek Jelas Kogeya on Saturday (25/11/3023) in Paro District. “They shot dead eight members of the army,” Sebby Sambom said in a release on Monday (27/11/2023).
According to the TPNPB, initially the army troops came to spy on the guard posts of the TPNPB. Later on Saturday morning, the force launched an attack on the TPNPB Forces led by Perek Jejas Kogeya who were passing through the guard post.
TPNPB forces then counter-attacked the army forces. In the shooting, according to the TPNPB, they shot dead eight members of the military. “While those hit by a single bullet are not counted and we have confirmed that what remains of Team Kopassus is only three people alive,” Sebby said.
“While on our side, the TPNPB, there are no casualties or injuries. We escaped the sudden attack carried out by the Kopassus team,” Sambom added.
Then at 15:00 Papua time, three army helicopters carried out an aerial attack. “So we fired at the three helicopters, so that two helicopters were hit by six bullets in the target and we believe they will be debris,” Sambom said.
According to him, the military forces they faced did not arrive recently. “But they have been taken down since the hostage taking of a New Zealand pilot and the burning of a plane on February 7, 2023 in Paro,” Sambom said.
According to him, until Monday some of the bodies of the fallen soldiers had not been evacuated. “If there is another attack tomorrow then we are ready to serve. We are waiting for Jakarta's goodwill to negotiate the release of this New Zealand pilot, but we see that Indonesia is still at the forefront of carrying out attacks against us TPNPB kodap III Ndugama-Derakma so we are ready to serve Indonesia,” Sambom wrote, referring to the report by Perek Jelas Kogeya.
The evacuation
Meanwhile, Antara reported, Army Commander General Agus Subiyanto said four Yonif Mechanical Raider 411/Pandawa Kostrad Task Force soldiers who were killed in Paro District had been evacuated and taken to a funeral home.
“Already (evacuated) today, taken to each other's funeral homes. West Java, Central Java,” Agus said he was met after the National Coordination Meeting of the Unified Law Enforcement Center in Jakarta on Monday.
The four soldiers have also been given benefits as they are entitled to. “We provide relief according to his rights. There are from (PT) Asabri, TNI AD, Bank BRI, Bank BJB. The amount per person is more than Rp 500 million,” Agus said. The commander also expressed sorrow for the incident. “We are all sorry,” he added.
Agus Subiyanto said that the shooting of the four army soldiers was related to a pursuit operation against the Free Papua Organization (OPM) in Paro District. “It was yesterday's pursuit that OPM killed the existing community in Paro,” the Commander-in-Chief explained.
The four fallen warriors were Praka Yipsan Ladou, Praka Dwi Bekti Probo Siniwoko, Pratu Miftahul Firdaus, and Prada Darmawan. The four were killed during a shootout with an armed criminal group (KKB) in Paro District, Nduga Regency, Papua, on Saturday (25/11).
One of the bodies of the fallen soldier, Dwi Bekti Probo Siniwoko, 28, was buried in the Pahlawan Tomb Park, Madiun City, East Java, on Monday. The funeral was conducted militarily led by the Commander of the 2nd Infantry Division Kostrad Major General Haryanto.
The late Probo Siniwoko, who fell in the line of duty, received an extraordinary rise in rank as a tribute from the state for his service to the nation, from the previous rank of chief soldier to corporal two posthumously. “The extended family of TNI AD deeply grieves the loss of the best soldiers,” Haryanto said in remarks at the military funeral ceremony.
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