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Six to stand trial for attacking West Papua military post

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Antara News - January 1, 2022

Ernes BK, Rahmad Nasution, Sorong, W Papua – Six men accused of launching an attack on a military post in Maybrat district, West Papua, on September 2, 2021, which claimed the lives of four soldiers, will be tried at the Makassar District Court.

Head of the Sorong Prosecutors Office's Intelligence Section, I Putu Sastra Adi Wicaksana, conveyed this information on Friday.

The suspects were flown from Sorong city to Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi province, on Friday, he said.

While they wait for their criminal charges to be heard at the court, the suspects will remain in South Sulawesi police's custody, he said, adding that the trial is being conducted in Makassar for security reasons.

While Wicaksana did not provide the names of the suspects, he said they have been charged for violating Articles 170, 338, 340, and 353 juncto Article 55 (1) of the Criminal Code.

As reported earlier, early in the morning on September 2, members of a Papuan separatist terrorist group ambushed several soldiers while they were asleep at the Kisor military post, located in Kisor village, South Aifat sub-district, Maybrat district.

Four soldiers – 2nd Sergeant Amrosius, Chief Private Dirham, First Private Zul Ansari, and First Lieutenant Dirman – died in the attack, while two others sustained serious injuries.

The bodies of three soldiers were found at the post, while the body of another soldier was discovered in the bushes not far from the post.

Owing to the incident, several local residents had fled their homes fearing for their safety.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM)-Papua Office, which probed the terror attack, conducted a crime scene investigation and met with witnesses, two suspects, and survivors of the attack.

As disclosed by the commission's head, Frits B. Ramandey, in September, the preliminary findings of the investigation indicated that the suspects had carried out a well-planned and organized assault.

According to Ramandey, based on the preliminary findings, the soldiers who survived the attack only fired warning shots instead of directing gunfire at their attackers.

The rights commission lauded the soldiers' response despite being in a critical situation.

Source: https://en.antaranews.com/news/207249/six-to-stand-trial-for-attacking-west-papua-military-pos

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