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irst. Brig. Berry Pramana Putra, a member of the National Police’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) stationed in Timika, Papua, was killed in an exchange of fire with unidentified gunmen on Utikini Bridge in Tembagapura, Mimika regency, on Sunday.

Berry died while in pursuit of armed assailants who were allegedly behind a shooting incident in the mining area of US-based PT Freeport Indonesia at Mile 60 to 67, Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said.

“The victim died on the scene while Mobile Brigade members were in an exchange of fire with an armed criminal group on Utikini Bridge, a day after the group shot at two patrol vehicles owned by PT Freeport,” he said in Jayapura on Monday.

He alleged the group was behind security disturbances in Freeport’s mining area. He also suspected it was the same group that seized two Steyr assault rifles and ammunition from Brimob members two years ago, as the same weapons were suspected to have been used in the shooting that killed Berry.