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Police hunt for shooter in double killing in Papua Highlands

A former police officer is believed to be the perpetrator, acting on orders from a rogue faction of Papuan separatists.

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, January 13, 2025

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Police hunt for shooter in double killing in Papua Highlands Police officers from Operation Cartenz Peace patrol in Bintang Highlands regency, Papua Highlands, on Sept. 21, 2023. The operation aims to combat armed groups associated with the Free Papua Movement (OPM). (Antara/Laksa Mahendra)

P

olice are intensifying security patrols in Yalimo regency, Papua Highlands, following the shooting of two civilians last week, as they seek to stabilize the situation and capture the shooter.

“We are […] on the hunt for Aske Mabel, who is suspected to be the shooter,” said Brig. Gen. Faizal Ramadhani, the chief of the police’s Operation Cartenz Peace, in a written statement on Sunday, as reported by tempo.co.

“The patrol at the borders of Yalimo regency is also being tightened by checking vehicles entering and exiting [the regency] to prevent other potential threats.”

The patrols are focusing on the regency’s Hobkama village in Elelim district, where the shooting took place.

The two victims, a 36-year-old and a 33-year-old, were woodworkers from East Luwu, South Sulawesi. They were attacked while cutting logs in the village on Jan. 8.

Witnesses said that in addition to being shot, the two victims had also been slashed by sharp weapons. They died of their wounds.

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Suspect Aske Mabel is a former police officer, ranked second brigadier, who defected from the police and joined a faction of the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM) led by Jeffrey Pagawak Boamanak.

However, TPNPB-OPM spokesman Sebby Sambom claimed Aske was not part of the OPM.

The movement does not consider Jeffrey a member, after he allegedly embezzled Rp 1.9 billion (US$116,643), claiming that the money would be used to purchase weapons. The weapons, the OPM says, never materialized.

Sebby said Jeffrey and Aske had murdered several people in Papua claiming it was for the movement.

The latest murder was the sixth incident.

“It was the sixth incident in the Yalimo regency area, all were carried out by Aske Mabel on orders from Jeffrey,” Sebby said.

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