Second Sergeant Imanuel Wenatubun was flown to Jakarta by Batik Air on Sunday (September 5, 2021), the 181/PVT Sorong District Military Command's spokesperson, Major Puguh Prandono, said in a statement that ANTARA received here on Monday.
Wenatubun, who was shifted from Sorong to Central Jakarta's Gatot Subroto Army Hospital for more intensive treatment, was accompanied by his mother and sister as well as an army doctor, he informed.
Early last Thursday (September 2, 2021), members of an unidentified terrorist group had ambushed several soldiers while they were sleeping at the Kisor military post of South Aifat Sub-district, West Papua Province.
Four soldiers—2nd Sergeant Amrosius, Chief Private Dirham, First Private Zul Ansari, and First Lieutenant Dirman—had died in the attack, while two others had sustained serious injuries.
The bodies of three soldiers had been found at the post, while the body of another soldier had been discovered in the bushes not far from the post.
Before he was evacuated to Jakarta, Wenatubun had received medical treatment at the Scholoo Keyen Public Hospital in Sorong Selatan district and a local army hospital, Prandono said.
Referring to last Thursday's attack, West Papua Governor Dominggus Mandacan has appealed to residents of Kisor village to assist security personnel to capture the killers of the four soldiers.
Mandacan, who visited the crime scene on September 4, 2021, also asked Kisor villagers who had fled their homes to take refuge in the forest to return home and resume their normal lives.
"The villagers do not need to panic or take refuge in the forest because the government works with the military and police to ensure public safety and security," he said.
Governor Mandacan said the presence of a joint team of Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police personnel in several villages was not aimed to frighten villagers.
Instead, they were striving to find the perpetrators who had slain and inflicted serious injuries on the soldiers, he said, adding that he believes that the security personnel would not disturb public security.
He also appealed to all residents of Maybrat to remain united in maintaining peace and law and order so regional development programs can be continued in the district.
"I also urge them not to let themselves get persuaded by any party with counterproductive goals for West Papua's regional development," he said.
On the sidelines of the governor's visit to the Kisor military post, Commander of the XVIII/Kasuari Regional Military Command, Maj.Gen. I Nyoman Castiasa, and West Papua Police chief, Insp.Gen.Tornagogo Sihombing, promised to guarantee public safety and security in Maybrat district.
"Our mission is to hunt down and arrest the perpetrators. So, members of communities need not be afraid of our presence because we are there to defend and protect the people," Castiasa said.
The assault on the Kisor military post in West Papua has added to the list of cases of armed violence in Papua and highlighted the grave danger posed by Papuan separatist terrorists.
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Translator: EB Kakisina, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
