State Security Chief Of Indonesia's Papua Province Killed In Clashes With Rebels - Reports

State Security Chief of Indonesia's Papua Province Killed in Clashes With Rebels - Reports

The head of National Intelligence Agency in Indonesian easternmost Papua province, Brigadier General Putu Dani NK, died from gunshot injuries he had received in a firefight with insurgents, Antara news agency reported, citing regional police

BANGKOK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th April, 2021) The head of National Intelligence Agency in Indonesian easternmost Papua province, Brigadier General Putu Dani NK, died from gunshot injuries he had received in a firefight with insurgents, Antara news agency reported, citing regional police.

The attack took place on Sunday at around 15:50 local time (08:50 GMT) in Dambet Village, in the Puncak Regency, where General Putu Dani NK arrived along with seven military security troops for inspection. The group, which was traveling on motorcycles, was ambushed by one of the armed rebel groups active in the area, the media said, citing Papua Police Chief Inspector General Mathius Fakhiri.

The Papua province has seen a surge in violent attacks by armed groups targeting both security personnel and civilians over the past months. Insurgents regularly ambush and kill police workers, teachers, students, motorcycle taxi drivers, and street food vendors.

The rebels also set schools ablaze and attack small aircraft airfields. According to the media outlet, in early January they torched a plane belonging to the Mission Aviation Fellowship, an international Christian missionary charity that delivers small shipments and small groups of passengers to remote sparsely populated areas and Christian missions in 55 countries in Asia, Africa, and South America.

Free Papua movement is an umbrella alliance of rebel groups in Papua, set up in 1965 on the western part of the New Guinea Island, occupied by Indonesia since 1962 when the Dutch colonial administration ended its ruling over the island, and the provinces of Papua and West Papua were established in the area. The rebels aim to the separation of these provinces from Indonesia, and their unification with Papua New Guinea.