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Military officer shot dead by armed group in Papua
Soldiers check vehicles and passengers' luggage in front of an Army post in Keero regency, Papua, on Monday
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Soldiers check vehicles and passengers' luggage in front of an Army post in Keero regency, Papua, on Monday. The Army conducted checks in anticipation of security disturbances during the upcoming regional elections. (Antara/Indrayadi) (Antara/Indrayadi)
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span class="inline inline-center">Soldiers check vehicles and passengers' luggage in front of an Army post in Keero regency, Papua, on Monday. The Army conducted checks in anticipation of security disturbances during the upcoming regional elections. (Antara/Indrayadi)
An Indonesian Military officer has been shot dead by an armed group in Mamberamo Raya regency in Papua, an Army officer said on Tuesday.
Maj.Gen. Himsa Siburian, commander of Cendrawasih Military Command, said that Maj. John De Fretes died after he and two of his subordinates were attacked by an unknown group in Namunaweja village in Mamberamo Tengah subdistrict, Mamberamo Raya, on Monday.
Himsa said John and his subordinates, Lance Corporal Affan and Lance Corporal Simon Sopacua, went to see the villagers in Namunaweja after receiving information that the Papua Liberation Army Front (TPN), a military wing of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) led by Cosmos Makabori, had tried to influence the local villagers.
As they arrived at the location, the three officers were suddenly attacked by a group of people carrying sharp weapons.
"John, who was also a priest, tried to talk to the group but was ignored. After torturing him, one of the people took John's pistol and shot him," he said as quoted by kompas.com.
The other two officers survived. Affan was shot in the arm with an arrow, but he escaped by jumping in the river while Simon escaped by hiding in the bushes and fleeing to nearby Kasonaweja village to report the incident.
"We really regret the actions of this criminal group. John told the local people that he was a priest but they killed him anyway," he said.
The Army said that it was collaborating with local police to hunt for the armed group and that it had sent John's body to his hometown in Magelang, Central Java, from Sentani Airport. (rin)
