Man Killed in Attack by Unidentified Men in Indonesia’s Easternmost Province of Papua

KOMPAS.com – A resident of the Dekai district in the easternmost region of Papua was killed in an attack by an alleged group of unidentified men armed with machetes and bows and arrows on August 26.

The death of Yausan, 31, is the third time in only a month after two people were killed in Indonesia’s mountainous regency of Yahukimo.

Papua police spokesman Senior Commissioner AM Kamal said that the case is under investigation following the arrest of two alleged suspects.

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“Currently, members of the criminal investigation unit of Yahukimo police have arrested two people on suspicion of being members of the unidentified group and who allegedly attacked the police [when searching perpetrators],” Kamal said in a statement on Thursday, August 27.

“They are currently being examined by the criminal investigation unit of Yahukimo police.” 

Kamal said the attack began when the victim and a witness were going to deliver building materials to a customer’s house by a pickup truck.

When the vehicle was approaching a street in Dekai district, suddenly the group of unidentified men came and attacked indiscriminately with sharp weapons.

“At 4:10pm local time at a bridge on Gunung Street in Dekai district in Yahukimo regency, Yausan was being mistreated by the group of people,” said Kamal.

“The victim, who was sitting in a cargo bed of the pickup truck, was then attacked with arrows, machetes, and wooden beam until he fell off the vehicle,” he added.

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The witness who was near the victim at the time immediately ran away and reported the incident to the police. When they came to the scene, the victim was already dead.

After evacuating the victim, the police immediately combed the whole area to chase the perpetrators.

“When a joint police team were chasing the perpetrators along a man-made river toward Masi Village, they were attacked with arrows. But no injuries were reported,” he said, adding that two alleged suspects were arrested during the encounter.

Kamal said three murder cases that allegedly involved the group of unidentified men has been reported this month.

Previously, two other victims who died in previous attacks by the alleged group of unidentified men were Hendy Jovinski, a staffer of the Yahukimo General Elections Commission, and Muhammad Thoyib, a shop attendant of a store for building supplies. They died on August 12 and on August 20, respectively.

The police have yet to name a suspect following the multiple terror acts in Yahukimo.

(Writer: Dhias Suwandi | Editors: Robertus Belarminus, Setyo Puji)

Source: https://regional.kompas.com/read/2020/08/27/09220851/lagi-seorang-warga-di-yahukimo-tewas-dibacok-otk-polisi-amankan-2-orang?page=2.