One Killed, Two Injured in Papua Armed Ambush of Food Convoy

By Banjir Ambarita on 06:51 pm Jul 16, 2014

Jayapura. One person was killed and two were injured when a 10-car convoy traveling in a remote area of Papua’s highlands was ambushed by armed attackers on Wednesday afternoon.

According to reports from police and a local resident, the attackers intercepted the convoy, which was carrying food from Wamena to Mulia, in Donggobak village.

Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Pudjo Sulistyo said that three men were shot in the ambush.

“From the temporary report we’ve received, three were shot. One of them died and the other two injured. Four cars were set on fire,” Pudjo said.

The victims included Kallo, a 30-year old man from Makassar, who died after being shot in the head. Two others — Laksmana, 24, and Bahar, 40 — were injured
in the shooting.

State-run Antara news agency reported that all of them have been taken to Mulia hospital. Laksmana and Bahar are in critical condition.

“The armed group intercepted the cars carrying sembako [nine basic commodities],” Puncak Jaya Police commander Lieut. Col. Lukam Arif said.

Puncak Jaya is one of Papua’s most remote regencies and has seen violent incidents in the past.

The Free Papua Organization (OPM), which has fought a low-intensity guerrilla war against Indonesian security forces since the province was annexed by Indonesia in 1969, operates in Papua’s highlands, including Puncak Jaya.

Correction: A previous version of this story had said that at least two people were killed and one was injured.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/07/17/armed-attack-papua-1-dead-2-injured.html

Armed attack in Papua: 1 dead, 2 injured

The Jakarta Post, Jayapura | Archipelago | Thu, July 17 2014, 7:39 AM

A civilian was shot to death by an armed group in Dangobak village in Tingginambut district, Puncak Jaya regency, Papua, on Wednesday afternoon, local police reported.

The victim, Kallo, 30, was pronounced dead at the scene, while another two men, Laksamana, 24, and Bahar, 40, are in critical condition at hospital.

The three men were part of a 10-public-vehicle convoy that was transporting staple food items and other goods from Wamena in Jayawijaya regency to Mulia in Puncak Jaya regency. The distance between the two towns is 150 kilometers.

Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Pudjo Sulistyo said the convoy of 10 vehicles was allegedly attacked by a group of armed civilians, who later burned four of the vehicles. He said the police suspected the attackers came from Tinggineri village, whose residents, according to him, had already caused several cases of public disorder.

Papua Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw confirmed the shooting. Meanwhile, Puncak Jaya detectives head Adj. Comr. Muhammad Arief was leading a joint task force of 26 Indonesian Military (TNI) and police personnel to handle the case.
Jo Collins and Anne Noonan, Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)