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Bodies of shooting victims removed to Jayapura
Unresolved conflict: Again, an shooting has happened in Papua, in which a group of armed civilians have shot dead three police officers at the Sinak Police station in Puncak regency, Papua, on Sunday evening
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Unresolved conflict: Again, an shooting has happened in Papua, in which a group of armed civilians have shot dead three police officers at the Sinak Police station in Puncak regency, Papua, on Sunday evening. The police are investigating motives of the deadly attack. (Illustration by Kompas/Handining) (Illustration by Kompas/Handining)
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a href="/">Unresolved conflict: Again, an shooting has happened in Papua, in which a group of armed civilians have shot dead three police officers at the Sinak Police station in Puncak regency, Papua, on Sunday evening. The police are investigating motives of the deadly attack. (Illustration by Kompas/Handining)
The bodies of three National Police members killed in a shooting at the Sinak Police office in Puncak regency, Papua, on Sunday evening ' First Brig. Ilham, First Brig. Ridho Matdoan and Second Brig. Muhammad Arman Syah ' have been flown to Jayapura.
Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw flew from Jayapura to Sinak to monitor first-hand the scene at Sinak Police station after the attack and the removal of the victims' bodies to Jayapura on a Dimonim Air aircraft.
The three police officers were shot dead by an armed civilian group in an attack on the Sinak Police station at around 8:35 p.m. local time on Sunday.
It was reported that five Sinak Police officers were watching TV in a guard room when around 25 armed civilians attacked the station and shot them. Two of the five police officers, Second Brig. Ryan and Second Brig. Dumapa, managed to escape the attack. They ran to a nearby Military Sub-District Command (Koramil) post located around 300 meters from the police station and sought help.
Papua Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Rudolf Patrick said in Jayapura that a shooting sound was reportedly heard once from an area behind the Sinak Police station before the armed civilian group reportedly broke through the back door of the station.
He further explained that the back door of the station had been closed prior to the incident but it was suspected that DK, a local resident who had been working as a non-permanent staff member at the office for four years, had opened it for the armed civilian group members.
'Our temporary analysis of the incident is that the shooting sound was a cue for DK to open the back door. After the attack, DK disappeared together with the group,' said Rudolf.
He said a forensic team from the Bhayangkara Police Hospital in Jayapura would conduct an autopsy on the bodies before they were handed over to their families.
'This is partly to reveal what munitions they used to shoot our members,' said Rudolf.
He said it was suspected that the armed civilian group wanted to kill the police officers at the station to steal weapons.
'Details on the types of weapons and munitions taken during the attack are not yet known,' said Rudolf.
Information obtained by thejakartapost.com mentioned that among the weapons taken away by the armed civilian group were two AK rifles, three Mauser guns and two SS1 rifles as well as one case of munitions.
Meanwhile, Papua Peace Network (JDP) coordinator Rev. Neles Tebay said the shooting incident was a signal for President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo to immediately open a dialogue with Papuans, including members of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM).
He admitted that the Indonesian government and security authorities had made various attempts to end conflict in Papua but none of them had been successful at winving the hearts of OPM members. (ebf)
