Bodies of Four Fallen Soldiers in Nduga Papua Sent Home for Burial: TNI

TheIndonesia.co - Coffins of four soldiers killed in a gunfight with Papuan rebels in Paro Sub-district, Nduga District, Papua Province, on November 25, were sent home for burial, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander General Agus Subiyanto stated.

Speaking to journalists after attending a meeting on integrated law enforcement here, as quoted by Antara on Monday, Subiyanto remarked that the fallen heroes' heirs had also received compensation.

The heirs of fallen heroes received more than Rp500 million each. The compensation funds were given by state insurer Asuransi Sosial Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia (Asabri), Indonesian Army (TNI-AD), Bank BRI, and Bank BJB, he noted.

Chief Private Yipsan Ladou, Chief Private Dwi Bekti Probo Siniwoko, First Private Miftahul Firdaus, and Second Private Darmawan got killed in the gunfight during their mission to hunt down the armed rebels who had assaulted and slain civilians in the Paro area.

The fallen soldiers belong to the Army Strategic Reserved Command's (Kostrad's) Mechanized Infantry Battalion Task Force, he stated, adding that Siniwoko, 28, had been buried in a military procession at Madiun City's Heroes Cemetery in East Java on Monday.

"We all are deeply saddened by this incident," he remarked, adding that the state conferred the fallen soldiers a posthumous promotion to one rank higher than they had held at the time of their death.

ANTARA reported earlier that over the past few years, armed Papuan groups have often employed hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel and mounted acts of terror against civilians in the districts of Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Puncak to instill fear among the people.

The targets of such acts of terror have included construction workers, motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, teachers, students, street food vendors, and also civilian aircraft.

On December 2, 2018, a group of armed Papuan separatists brutally killed 31 workers from PT Istaka Karya engaged in the Trans Papua project in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi Sub-district, Nduga District.

On March 2, 2022, several members of an armed Papuan group operating in Beoga Sub-district, Puncak District, killed eight Palaparing Timur Telematika (PTT) workers, who were repairing a base transceiver station (BTS) tower belonging to state-owned telecommunications operator Telkomsel.

The workers were identified as B, R, BN, BT, J, E, S, and PD, while another worker, identified by his initials as NS, survived the assault, according to Papua Police spokesperson, Police Chief Commissioner Ahmad Kamal.

On February 7, 2023, New Zealander pilot Phillip Mark Mehrtens was held hostage by the Egianus Kogoya-led armed group whose members set his aircraft on fire in Nduga District.

Mehrtens was piloting an aircraft belonging to Indonesian airline Susi Air when he was captured by the Kogoya-led armed group.

On October 16, 2023, Papuan separatists assaulted several traditional gold miners in Yahukimo District, Papua Pegunungan Province, killing seven of them.