Indonesian troops kill two suspected armed group members in Jayapura clash
On October 23, Indonesian forces engaged a suspected Ndugama-Nderakma group near a residential area in Jayapura, killing two fighters and seizing weapons and equipment.
Brig. Gen. Riyanto, head of the Habema Operations Command, reported that on October 23 a patrol in Jayapura responded to tips of an armed presence near a residential district. The suspected Ndugama-Nderakma group, identified by the military as KKB Kodap III, allegedly opened fire on the troops, leading to a brief gunfight.
Two members of the group were killed on the spot, and the rest escaped. Soldiers seized two air rifles, a bow with arrows, various bladed weapons, 18 mobile phones, handheld radios, documents, group insignia and roughly Rp88 million (about US$4,900). Riyanto stressed that the troops acted proportionately and professionally, adhering to operational rules and protecting civilians. He urged any remaining combatants in the forests and mountains to abandon violence and rejoin their families for a better future in Papua.
Why it matters
The incident shows ongoing security challenges in Papua and the Indonesian military's effort to curb armed separatist activity.
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