Unidentified attackers reportedly assaulted 2nd Brigadier Diego Rumaropen, and tortured him to death. They also grabbed two firearms from him, he told ANTARA.
According to Fakhiri, the assault reportedly occurred around 5 p.m. local time.
Over the past few years, armed Papuan groups have often employed hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel and mounted acts of terror against civilians in the districts of Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Puncak to instill fear among the people.
The targets of such acts of terror have included construction workers, motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, teachers, students, street food vendors, and even civilian aircraft.
On March 2, 2022, for instance, 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 of state-owned telecommunications operator Telkomsel.
The workers were identified by their initials as B, R, BN, BT, J, E, S, and PD. Another worker, identified as NS, survived the deadly assault, according to Papua Police spokesperson Senior Commissioner Ahmad Kamal.
Related news: Police probe killings of eight civilians in Puncak District's Beoga
The killing of PTT workers is not the first such attack in the eastern Indonesian province.
On December 2, 2018, a group of armed Papuan rebels had brutally killed 31 PT Istaka Karya workers, who were working on the Trans Papua project in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi sub-district, Nduga district, Papua province.
The armed rebels who launched the brutal killings also slew a soldier, identified as Handoko, and injured two other security personnel, Sugeng and Wahyu.
To end the continuing cycle of armed violence in the provinces of Papua and West Papua, TNI Commander General Andika Perkasa has pledged to emphasize "social communication" to deal with Papuan groups.
On the sidelines of a working visit to Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, on December 1, 2021, Perkasa said that the social communication-based approach had been adopted in order to avoid falling victim to the conflict.
General Perkasa said he will let members of the international community assess the law enforcement mechanism against Papuan separatist terrorists committing crimes against humanity.
In Congo, a country located on the western coast of Central Africa, Indonesian soldiers involved in the UN peacekeeping mission handle militias without bloodshed, he pointed out.
"If this can be done in Congo, why not Papua?" he asked while highlighting the importance of professional soldiers, who are highly committed to humanitarian values.
Related news: Survivor of fatal shooting in Puncak, Papua, evacuated to Timika
Related news: Papuan separatists burn down public learning activity center in Puncak
Translator: Evarukdijati, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
