Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - A joint team of personnel from the Yahukimo police and Nemangkawi Task Force arrested Senat Soll, an armed Papuan separatist terrorist group leader, in Dekai, Yahukimo District, Papua Province, on Thursday.

Soll attacked police officers while resisting an attempt to arrest him in the Dekai neighbourhood area at around 5 a.m. local time, Director of Papua Police's Criminal Investigation Unit Senior Commissioner Faisal Rahmadani stated.

Consequently, Soll, alias Ananias Yalak, who had once joined the Indonesian Army, sustained a gunshot wound on his right leg. He was then admitted to the Dekai Public Hospital for medical treatment, he noted.

According to the Papua police's reports, Soll had been involved in four criminal offenses, including the trafficking of arms, when he was still an active army personnel and involved in murder cases, he stated.

The suspect was accused of having slain Hendri Jovinski, a staff member of Yahukimo District's General Elections Commission Office, on August 11, 2020, and Muhammad Thoyib on August 20, 2020, Rahmadani stated.

During his army service, Soll had allegedly been involved in the purchase and sale of 155 bullets in 2018, he remarked, adding that police investigators continue to uncover Soll's criminal records.

From the Dekai Public Hospital, Soll will be moved to Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, for further investigation, he remarked.

Papua has been reeling from armed violence over the past few years.

On August 22, 2021, the Tenius Gwijangge-led terrorist group launched a deadly attack on several construction workers of PT Indo Mulia Baru involved in erecting a bridge over Brazza River in Yahukimo.

Two workers, identified as Rionaldo Ratu Roma and Dedi Imam Pamungkas, died in the attack. The attackers also set ablaze their bodies and a pick-up truck, according to Rahmadani.

Members of the terrorist group also attacked several personnel from the Indonesian Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit when they went to the site of the shooting to retrieve the bodies of the deceased workers, he had stated earlier.

Four Brimob personnel sustained minor injuries, he remarked, adding that several construction workers were evacuated to Dekai, the capital of Yahukimo District, for safety reasons.

Members of this Tenius Gwijangge-led terrorist group might have used six firearms, including two 5.56-millimeter caliber SS1-V1 rifles, according to Rahmadani.

The two assault rifles equipped with Trijicon, or optical sighting devices, may belong to the 423 Infantry Battalion (Airborne) of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), he noted.

"Due to the 'Trijicon', the shooters could maintain their precision," he remarked, adding that the four other firearms used by the Tenius Gwijangge-led group could not yet be identified.

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Translator: Evarukdijati, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
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