The assault caused Aris Munandar, 28, to suffer serious sharp force wounds on his shoulder and right hand, the Operation Peace Cartenz Task Force's Operation Head, Brigadier General Faizal Ramadhani, stated.
In his remarks on Sunday, Ramadhani condemned the attacks against innocent civilians, like Munandar. Due to the severity of his injuries, Munandar is currently hospitalized at the Paniai Public Hospital.
The task force has launched an investigation into the assault and is digging deeper into the possibility of an armed Papuan group's involvement in the incident, he added.
Several witnesses informed investigators that Munandar had taken a female passenger to her destination before the attack.
After dropping off the passenger, the witnesses found Munandar seriously wounded and collapsed in front of a resident's kiosk on his way back. They then quickly evacuated him to Paniai Public Hospital, he remarked.
No arrests have been made yet regarding this case, but local police suspect that three men riding a motorcycle are linked to the assault, he stated.
The police, however, have not yet released the identities of the suspects or made any arrests, he added.
Over the past few years, armed Papuan groups have often employed hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel and mounted acts of terror targeting civilians in the districts of Intan Jaya, Nduga, Puncak, and Maybrat to incite 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, for instance, a group of armed Papuan separatists brutally killed 31 workers from PT Istaka Karya. The workers were engaged in the Trans Papua project in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi Sub-district, Nduga District.
In the early morning of September 2, 2021, several members of an armed Papuan group operating in Maybrat District ambushed sleeping soldiers at the Kisor military post located in Kisor Village, South Aifat Sub-district.
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 owned by state-owned telecommunications operator Telkomsel.
On February 7, 2023, New Zealander pilot Phillip Mark Mehrtens was taken hostage by an armed group led by Egianus Kogoya.
On Friday, July 25, 2025, a Papuan separatist shot dead a kiosk owner in Wandoga Village, Sugapa Sub-district, Intan Jaya District, Central Papua, at around 1:40 p.m. local time.
The kiosk owner, identified as Joni Hendra, was gunned down as he was serving a customer.
Translator: Ali NI, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
