Nineteen workers survived the attack, which took place at about 1 p.m. local time, chief of the Cartenz Peace Operation Task Force, Sen.Coms.Faizal Ramadhani, informed.
The workers who survived the assault managed to reach the task force's security post in Ilaga, the capital of Puncak district, and reported the incident, he said.
At about 3 p.m. local time, several task force personnel were sent to the crime scene. They traced the area and found the body of Oto, the worker killed by the rebels, he said.
They also found one worker hiding behind the bushes near the crime scene. He survived the attack, but suffered arrow wounds, Ramadhani added.
The security personnel evacuated the body of the deceased worker and the two wounded workers to Puncak Public Hospital in Ilaga sub-district, and took the survivors to the Puncak Police precinct, he informed.
The police are probing the case and have pledged to crack down on the rebels, he added.
ANTARA has reported earlier that 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 spark 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 also civilian aircraft.
On December 2, 2018, a group of armed Papuan rebels brutally killed 31 workers from PT Istaka Karya who were engaged in the Trans Papua project in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi sub-district, Nduga district.
Such acts of violence continued to occur in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
On January 6, 2021, at least 10 armed separatists vandalized and torched a Quest Kodiak aircraft belonging to Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) on the Pagamba village airstrip.
On February 8, 2021, a 32-year-old man was shot 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 Timika Public Hospital in Mimika district on February 9.
In a separate incident on February 9, a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver was fatally stabbed by 6 armed Papuans.
On April 8, 2021, several armed Papuan separatists opened fire at a kiosk in Julukoma village, Beoga sub-district, Puncak district.
The shooting resulted in the death of a Beoga public elementary school teacher, identified as Oktovianus Rayo.
After killing Rayo, the armed attackers torched 3 classrooms at Beoga public senior high school.
On April 9, 2021, armed separatists fatally shot another teacher, Yonatan Randen, in the chest.
On April 25 of the same year, 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.
On March 2, 2022, several members of an armed Papuan group operating in Beoga sub-district, Puncak district, killed 8 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, identified by his initials as NS, survived the deadly assault, according to Papua Police spokesperson, Sen.Coms.Ahmad Kamal.
On February 7 this year, a group of armed Papuan separatists attacked a civilian aircraft owned by Susi Air. They burned the plane at Paro Airfield, Nduga district, and captured its pilot, Captain Philip Mark Mehrtens.
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Translator: Ardiles L, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
