Army spokesman Col. Yusub Dody Sandra said the incident occurred at about 3:40 p.m. on Sunday, December 14, during a unit training exercise, when troops received a security report about an unidentified drone flying near the training area.
Four soldiers from a combat engineering battalion went to the suspected launch site and found four Chinese nationals operating a drone without authorization inside the restricted zone, according to the military, during the scheduled field exercise.
While the soldiers sought information using standard procedures, 11 additional Chinese nationals arrived and attacked aggressively, the spokesman said, escalating the encounter and threatening personnel safety with coordinated actions near the company’s perimeter.
The attackers used machetes, an airsoft gun, and an electric shock device, prompting the outnumbered troops to withdraw tactically to avoid further escalation and report the incident to higher command through established military channels.
No soldiers were injured, but a company-owned Toyota Hilux was heavily damaged and an employee’s Honda Vario motorcycle was destroyed during the confrontation near the industrial operations area, the military said.
Investigators are examining the motive for the assault and the purpose of flying a drone over a military training area, with the regional command pledging full cooperation with police under applicable Indonesian legal procedures.
Separately, PT Sultan Rafli Mandiri President Director Firman condemned the violence and property damage, stressing that the soldiers were active-duty personnel on official assignment, not company security staff, during a scheduled training exercise near the site.
Firman said the company has legally changed ownership and management, and the new leadership never authorized foreign workers to operate at the site following a formal restructuring process completed under Indonesian corporate law.
He said the Chinese nationals were sponsored by the previous management, and the company sought revocation of their sponsorship and residence permits in October 2025, while reporting the matter to West Kalimantan police for investigation.
Translator: Rendra O, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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