TNI-Polri Troops Began To Be Sent To Ilaga Buru Armed Groups

Combined TNI and police forces arrived in Ilaga, Puncak Regency, Saturday 1 April. (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Joint TNI and Police forces since Saturday morning began to be sent to Ilaga, Puncak Regency to secure community activities as well as to hunt down armed groups now designated as terrorist groups.

Head of the Nemangkawi Public Relations Task Force, Police Commissioner Iqbal Alqudusy, said the presence of joint personnel in Ilaga District, Puncak Regency as a representation of the state in the midst of the local community.

"On Saturday morning TNI and Police forces arrived at Ilaga District to secure community activities and pursue KKB which has now been referred to as the Terrorist Group", He said as reported by Antara, Sunday, April 2.

He said that the sending of TNI and Police forces to Ilaga could not be separated from the increasingly massive armed groups spreading terror and violence against the public and security forces.

The culmination of their security disturbance was the death of the Head of the Papua Regional State Intelligence Agency, Major General TNI (Posthumous) I Gusti Putu Danny Nugraha Karya in Beoga District, Puncak Regency, Sunday, April 25.

Previously armed groups in Papua had killed two teachers who served in Beoga District, and a motorcycle taxi driver, and a high school student in Ilaga District.

Most recently, a member of the Indonesian Police Mobile Brigade on behalf of Bhayangkara Satu (Posthumous) I Komang Wira Natha, also killed during a firefight with an armed group in Makki Village, North Ilaga District, Tuesday, April 27.

"With the massive spread of this group of terror, it has prompted the government to take a firm stance by changing the term KKB to the terrorist", said Alqudusy.

So far, he said, the situation Security in Ilaga, the capital of Puncak Regency, is quite conducive, local people continue to do their usual activities.

The Head of the Puncak Police, Police Commissioner I Nyoman Punia, acknowledged that the security situation in the Ilaga and Puncak Districts is still generally conducive.

"Until now, the security situation in Ilaga is still normal, there are no things that stand out. Likewise at Ilaga Airport, flights are smooth. Meanwhile, in Ilaga Market, as usual, residents continue to sell, many residents come to the market to buy various necessities", he said.

Several armed group factions are currently reportedly concentrating their forces at Lumawi Headquarters, North Ilaga District.

Lumawi Headquarters is known to be the headquarters for a number of their kingpins, including Lekagak Telenggen, Murib Military, and others. The distance from Ilaga to Lumawi Headquarters is about two hours by car through steep mountains and rivers.

On Tuesday, April 27, a joint TNI and Police team that was about to enter Lumawi Headquarters were stopped by an armed group around Olenki.

Shooting between them and the armed group was inevitable.

In the incident, one policeman from the Indonesian Police Mobile Brigade from Kelapa Dua, Depok, West Java, was killed, while two others were injured and are now being treated intensively at Mimika Hospital.