Commander of the Regional Military Command 173/PVB Brigadier General Taufan Gestoro confirmed that two soldiers from the Task Force of the Yonif R 408/SBH military regional command (Kodim) were shot by terror group members intercepting the soldiers while returning to their post around Ilaga, Puncak District, after delivering logistics.
"The incident occurred early Saturday at around 00:15 WIT (Eastern Indonesian Standard Time) in Kimak Village, Ilaga Sub-district," he told ANTARA on Saturday.
The incident occurred when 10 soldiers, led by First Lieutenant IA. Mizam, on Friday night, were traveling by a truck from the Ilaga Makodim Post to the Wuloni Post to deliver logistics.
While returning to Ilaga, in the wee hour of Saturday, the group was intercepted that led to a shootout.
The two soldiers that got injured were First sergeant Sudirno, who was shot in the right elbow, and chief soldier Zubaidi, who was shot in the right nose through the upper left lip.
Both injured soldiers were evacuated to Timika aboard a plane belonging to SAS Air, he revealed.
Related news: Some 82 percent Papuans press for new autonomous regions: Minister
Papua has borne 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.
On March 2, 2022, several members of an armed Papuan group operating in Beoga Sub-district, Puncak District, killed Palaparing Timur Telematika's (PTT's) eight workers, who were engaged in repair work on a base transceiver station (BTS) tower of state-owned telecommunications operator Telkomsel.
On December 2, 2018, a group of armed Papuan rebels had brutally killed PT Istaka Karya's 31 workers, who were engaged in construction and building the Trans Papua project in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi Sub-District, Nduga District, Papua Province.
Related news: Papua police chief pledges to safeguard Eid prayers
Translator: Evarukdijati, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
