"They have been freed because there has so far been no evidence of their involvement in any armed Papuan group operating in the region," task force chief, Sen. Coms. Faizal Rahmadani, stated.
If the task force personnel later found convincing evidence of their involvement, the students, only identified as MH and BG, could again be questioned, he told ANTARA in Jayapura City on Monday.
The students were arrested shortly after the gunfight between security personnel and several members of an armed criminal group operating in Dekai Sub-district on Thursday, February 22, 2024.
Rahmadani had stated earlier that the task force personnel arrested Alenus Tabuni, alias Kobuter, one of the armed Papuan criminals that the Indonesian police had placed on its most wanted list.
Tabuni was apprehended in front of Ilaga Sub-district's public health center in Puncak District, Central Papua Province, on Sunday, February 18.
Rahmadani noted that Tabuni was involved in and played an important role in several acts of armed violence in Puncak District over the past few years.
Tabuni first joined the Goliath Tabuni-led armed criminal group before moving to the Numbuk Telenggen-led armed group, he stated, adding that the suspect set PT Unggul's base camp on fire on February 11, 2021.
Related news: Operation Peace Cartenz Task Force arrests Alenus Tabuni
After burning down the base camp in Jenggerpaga Village, Ilaga Sub-district, the police reported that he gunned down an ojek driver named Udin near the Eromaga village hall on April 14, 2021, he remarked.
The Papua police further noted that the suspect hit Nius Tabuni, Gome Sub-district head, on April 24, 2021, and shot at a soldier in Undome Village, Gome Sub-district, on May 3, 2021, Rahmadani revealed.
The soldier survived the shooting incident, he stated, adding that on May 9, 2021, Tabuni burned down a government building near Aminggaru Airport in Ilaga Sub-district.
Thereafter, on May 11, 2021, Tabuni also attempted to set a security truck on fire, and on June 3, 2021, he was involved in a shooting incident that ended in the death of Habel Alengpen, Rahmadani pointed out.
Moreover, on June 3, 2021, Tabuni, along with other members of the Numbuk Telenggen-led armed group, destroyed and scorched the locals' houses and several facilities at the Aminggaru Airport in Ilaga Sub-district.
Tabuni was also involved in several gunfights against Indonesian security personnel, including the ones on August 16, 2021, in the villages of Welenggaru and Kugibur of Gome Utara Sub-district, and on August 18, 2021, in the villages of Mundidok and Tuanggi of Ilaga Sub-district.
This year, Tabuni also reportedly got involved in a gunfight against the Indonesian police and army personnel in PT Unggul's working area of Jenggerpaga Village, Ilaga Sub-district, on February 4.
"Luckily, there were no casualties in the gunfight. Tabuni was reported to carry a firearm and ammunition during the exchange of fire," he added.
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Translator: Evarukdijati, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
