OJ (20) and NT (18) were freed after the Nemangkawi Task Force concluded that they did not belong to any Papuan separatist terrorist group, National Police spokesperson Sen.Coms.Ahmad Ramadhan said.
OJ and NT were arrested in a green house near a "honai" (traditional hut) under a Telkomsel tower in Bilogai area in the aftermath of a shooting at the Sugapa police precinct around 7:52 a.m. on Thursday, he informed.
The Nemangkawi Task Force personnel carried out aerial surveillance after several Papuan terrorists opened fire on the police precinct and observed five people with three rifles near the house, he said.
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"The task force personnel then raided the green house. They found OJ and NT, and also secured a cellular phone and a laptop for investigation," Ramadhan added.
The task force personnel are still hunting Papuan separatist terrorists who opened fire on the police precinct, he said, adding that there were no casualties in the shooting incident.
Papua has borne witness to a spate of violence against civilians and security personnel in the past few years.
Intan Jaya recorded its bloodiest month in September 2020, with notorious armed groups launching a series of attacks that claimed the lives of two soldiers and two civilians and left two others injured.
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Armed groups have continued their acts of terror this year, too.
On January 6, 2021, at least 10 armed Papuans vandalized and torched a Quest Kodiak aircraft belonging to the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) at the Pagamba village airstrip.
Armed groups often employ hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel and unleash acts of terror against civilians to instill fear among the people.
On February 8, 2021, an armed rebel reportedly shot a 32-year-old man at close range in Bilogai village, Sugapa sub-district.
The victim, identified by his initials as RNR, sustained gunshot wounds on the face and right shoulder and was taken to the Timika Public Hospital in Mimika district on February 9.
On February 9, six armed Papuans fatally stabbed a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver.
Thereafter, on the morning of September 13, several members of the Lamek Tablo-led separatist terrorist group torched several public facilities, including a public health center, and homes in Kiwirok.
The separatist terrorists reportedly assaulted and tortured several health workers from the Kiwirok Public Health Center. One health worker, identified as Gabriela Meilan, died, while four others sustained serious injuries in the attack.
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Translator: Laily R, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
