Private Herianto got injured on his neck, under one ear, but was conscious when he was evacuated to the Beoga health center, spokesperson for the XVII Cenderawasih Regional Military Command, Colonel Aqsha Erlangga, said.
The separatists ambushed Herianto and 11 other soldiers while they were conducting a routine patrol and repairing a water pipeline near Koramil post in Dambet village, Beoga sub-district, he said.
A gunfight broke out, he said, adding that 3 of the 15 attackers who reportedly headed to Ogamki village had assault rifles.
Private Herianto will be evacuated to Timika, the capital of Mimika district, for further medical treatment, he informed.
On Wednesday (March 2, 2022), several Papuan separatist terrorists mounted a deadly attack on civilians in Beoga sub-district, Puncak district.
The assault resulted in the death of a local resident and seven workers who were repairing a base transceiver station (BTS) tower belonging to state-owned telecommunications operator Telkomsel, Erlangga said.
The civilians slain in the attack were identified as Billy, Renal, Bona, Bebi Tabuni, Jamal, Eko, Syahril, and Pak De, he added.
Papua has been witness to a repeated cycle of violence over the past few years, with armed groups in the districts of Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Puncak targeting civilians and security personnel.
Intan Jaya recorded its bloodiest month in September 2020, when armed groups launched a series of attacks in the area that claimed the lives of two soldiers and two civilians and left two others injured.
The acts of terror continued in 2021. On January 10, 2021, for instance, an Indonesian soldier died in a gunfight in the Titigi area of Intan Jaya district.
On April 25, 2021, Papuan separatists operating in Beoga ambushed State Intelligence Agency (Papua) chief, I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha, and several security personnel during their visit to Dambet village.
Nugraha died of gunshot wounds sustained during the attack.
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Translator: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
