"Muslim communities are welcomed to perform mass Eid prayers in their respective neighborhood areas by complying with the government's health protocols," he noted in Biak on Friday.
Fakhiri said the government had permitted mass Eid prayers to be conducted, as they are part of the important activities for Muslims celebrating Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
To this end, the Papua police will help safeguard places used for holding the mass Eid prayers, he remarked.
"Every police precinct will deploy a special unit of personnel to secure and safeguard places used for holding the mass Eid prayers," he added.
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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.
On September 17, 2020, Papuan rebels tortured and killed a 49-year-old Ojek motorcycle taxi driver, identified as Badawi.
On September 13, 2020, armed separatists opened fire at two Ojek drivers in the Sugapa area, but the drivers managed to survive the attack.
The acts of terror have continued this year.
On March 2, 2022, several members of an armed Papuan group operating in Beoga Sub-district, Puncak District, killed eight Palaparing Timur Telematika (PTT) workers, who were repairing a base transceiver station (BTS) tower belonging to state-owned telecommunications operator Telkomsel.
The workers were identified as B, R, BN, BT, J, E, S, and PD, while another worker, only identified by his initials as NS, survived the deadly assault, according to Papua Police spokesperson Senior Commissioner Ahmad Kamal.
The killing of PTT workers was not the first tragedy to have stricken the eastern Indonesian province.
On December 2, 2018, a group of armed Papuan rebels had brutally killed 31 PT Istaka Karya workers, who were engaged in the construction and building of the Trans Papua project in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi Sub-district, Nduga District, Papua Province.
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Translator: Muhsidin, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
