YOGYAKARTA TNI Commander Admiral Yudo Margono raised his operating status in Mugi-Mam, Nduga, Papua Mountains, which was previously named the swamp patrol operation, became a combat alert operation on April 18, 2023.
The determination of the combat alert status was the aftermath of the Papuan KKB ambush on TNI soldiers who were carrying out search and rescue operations for Susi Air's pilot, Philip Mehrtens. The attack killed five TNI soldiers. So, what is the combat alert status for TNI soldiers in Papua?
TNI Commander Admiral Yudo Margono on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, explained what is the combat alert status in Papua.
Yudo said that the combat alert in Papua was not the implementation of military operations.
"The combat situation, emphasized again, so far we have conveyed territorial operations, social communication operations, because the people there are not high insecurity, but specifically for certain areas that are high in vulnerability, we will emphasize them again to be on combat alert," said Yudo after attending a meeting on Papua led by Vice President Ma Ruf Amin at the Vice Presidential Palace in Jakarta, directed from Antara.
He emphasized that the determination of combat alert status is intended to foster the military instincts of the soldiers. Especially when soldiers are attacked by Armed Criminal Groups.
"That's an emphasis, not a military operation, so don't let it be a military operation, no. Not yet a military operation. Combat preparedness is to foster military instincts in the soldiers," said Yudo.
"The combat alert is for our own troops to be alert at any time attacked. This TNI must always be on standby for these troops," Yudo continued.
Although his status has increased to combat alert, it does not mean that TNI soldiers will act offensively.
Admiral Yudo said that TNI soldiers were still defensive, but were prepared to face attacks.
"Not offensive, we remain defensive, but they must be ready because they are in areas with high vulnerability so they must be alert to the combat," said Yudo.
Meanwhile, according to military observer from the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS) Khairul Fahmi, the TNI combat alert operation in Papua has not changed the form of operations in the field.
He considered that combat alert operations only increased the preparedness status of soldiers in the field.
Fahmi added, the scheme of this operation, for example, the determination of standby status 3. The status at this level requires each personnel not to leave the city where they are on duty.
Next, there is standby 2 which requires soldiers to be ready at their headquarters on duty.
Then there is also standby 1. At this level, the command center places TNI personnel at predetermined posts.
"This combat situation means that personnel have been stationed in posts and weapons must be carried everywhere and ready to shoot," explained Fahmi, confiscating Kompas, Thursday, April 27, 2023.
Combat Alert Status Only In Prone Areas
Previously, the Head of the Indonesian Armed Forces Information Center (Kapuspen) Rear Admiral (Laksda) Julius Widjojono stated that combat alerts in Papua were only held in areas deemed prone to attacks and terror of armed criminal groups (KKB).
Laksda Julius said combat alerts need to be carried out because of the KKB/terrorist separatist group (KST) actions that are increasingly aggressive and threaten the safety of the community, soldiers, as well as the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia.
"Fight positions are carried out only in vulnerable areas, areas marked as centers of operation for them (armed criminal groups, ed.). Physically, the strength of defense equipment and weapons has not changed," said Kapuspen TNI.
"That's information about what the combat alert status is in Papua," continued VOI.ID to get other interesting news.
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