Three Indonesian Army Killed by Criminal Groups in Nduga

Wamena, MINA – Indonesian Army (TNI) who are members of the Law Enforcement Task Force, which is carrying out safeguards for the construction of Trans Papua Wamena-Mumugu infrastructure in Nduga Regency was attacked by the Armed Civil Criminal Group (KKSB) on Thursday at around 08.00 a.m. locL time.

The TNI “Satgas Gakkum” forces with the number of 25 people in order to secure the shifting lines of troops, got a sudden attack by around 50-70 KKSB people armed with mixed weapons, both military standard weapons and traditional weapons such as arrows and spears.

In a statement from the TNI received by MINA on Thursday, the attack by the group led by Egianus Kogoya left three martyred soldiers as “Kusuma Bangsa” named: Serda Mirwariyadin, Serda Yusdin and Serda Siswanto Bayu Aji.

“The soldiers tried to fight so they managed to control the situation, and succeeded in repelling the KKSB group until it disappeared into the wilderness,” read the statement of the TNI.

From the KKSB, TNI soldiers managed to seize five weapons belonging to the KKSB and found a corpse whose identity is still under investigation. It is estimated that at least 7-10 KKSB members were also killed but his body was successfully taken away by their friends.

At 3:00 p.m., two Bell helicopter units arrived from Timika to carry out the evacuation of fallen soldiers.

But before landing the helicopter again got an attack from the KKSB, TNI soldiers returned fire both from the air and from the ground so the helicopter landed successfully and the evacuation process could be carried out safely. (T/Sj/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)