A rebel group in Papua killed at least 11 people at a gold panning site in Highland Papua’s Yahukimo district this week, claiming the victims were Indonesian soldiers disguised as miners.
The attack took place in Brupmakot Village, Seradala District, about 52 kilometers from Dekai, the local capital. Police recovered 11 bodies, though the total number of casualties is still unclear.
Sebby Sambom, spokesperson for the West Papua Liberation Army, an armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, said his group carried out the attack.
“They were security personnel disguised as miners,” Sambom said. “We take full responsibility for the action.”
Sambom said that prior to the attack, the group had warned civilians to evacuate government-backed projects and mining areas or risk being perceived as aligned with the Indonesian military.
Indonesia’s Defense Ministry spokesperson, Frega Wenas, confirmed that police had recovered the bodies of 11 miners and were continuing their search for other potential victims. He emphasized that the victims were civilians, not soldiers, and accused the rebels of spreading disinformation.
Wenas also said that members of the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI) are not involved in illegal mining activities. “The presence of TNI in Papua is solely for carrying out constitutional duties,” he said.
The attack follows a recent rebel assault in the same regency that killed a teacher and injured six others. Papua has experienced decades of conflict since its incorporation into Indonesia in 1969, with rebel groups continuing to fight for independence, often targeting infrastructure and workers connected to the central government.
