Indonesia, West Papua – The Indonesian military (TNI) launched an operation involving air strikes and ground forces against the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) in the districts of Gome and Gome Utara in late May 2025.
The operation lasted at least five days. Indigenous Papuans witnessing the raids in various locations described that security forces indiscriminately opened fire at individuals they encountered in the forest and villagers who were not able to flee. The ground forces were reportedly accompanied by air raids, with helicopters dropping mortar grenades on civilian settlements. The operation is part of the Government's plan to destroy the TPNPB, as the armed wing of the West Papuan independence movement.
On 22 May 2025, in Towenggi II Village, Gome District, Mr Agus Murib, 29, was reportedly shot dead by Indonesian military personnel while he and his wife were collecting wood in the forest. According to testimonies and a public statement published by TPNPB, Mr Murib had no affiliation with the TPNPB-OPM or any armed group. The killing was reportedly unprovoked, with no warning issued before soldiers opened fire. His wife managed to escape and alerted the community. Due to the military presence at the site, the relatives were not able to evacuate the body for an extended period (see photos below, source: WPCC). The remains were later cremated by family members.
On 23 May 2025, further violence occurred in Ninggabuma Village, Gome District, as Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel opened fire and allegedly wounded a civilian woman named Mrs Ariu Mayau (see photos below, source: WPCC). Sixteen-year-old Jefri Tabuni, allegedly a member of TPNPB, was fatally shot during the raid. Sources alleged that he was executed despite not being armed.
On 26 May 2025, the TNI conducted a coordinated land and air military operation in the Gome Utara District, Puncak Regency. During this operation, a civilian named Mr Sole Mosip, 52, was killed as a result of an airstrike. His residence was directly hit, caught fire, and the victim was burned to death. The charred remains of Mr Mosip were discovered by villagers two days later, on 28 May 2025. Due to restricted access, imposed by military control over the area, residents were forced to cremate the body at the scene.
On the morning of 26 May 2025, the TNI launched an aerial attack in Welenggaru Village, Gome Utara District. The bombardment led to the destruction of several properties, including Mr Mosip's home. Military members set multiple residential houses on fire (see phots below, source: independent HRDs). Eyewitness accounts confirm that Mr Mosip was hit by the explosion, which also incinerated his home. Villagers also reported that the entire forest region of Gome Utara District remains under strict TNI control, obstructing civilian movement or humanitarian access. It is feared that other victims remain unaccounted for within the restricted area.
On 27 May 2025, further alarming reports emerged concerning the deployment of explosive devices by the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and National Police (Polri) in Gome Utara District, Puncak Regency. According to eyewitness testimony, security forces were seen planting hand grenades and other explosive devices along public roads throughout the conflict zone. These explosive devices, ostensibly intended for engagement with TPNPB-OPM forces, were laid without any safeguarding measures for civilians. This practice places the lives of fleeing civilians in immediate peril, as they are forced to traverse these mined routes in search of safety.
On 28 May 2025, residents received secured conditional access from local police in the town of Kago. They recovered Mr Sole Mosip's body and immediately cremated it due to the impossibility of evacuation.
The death of Sole Mosip is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of extrajudicial killings, forced displacement, and structural impunity in West Papua. Human rights groups demand an independent investigation by the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) to ensure that all perpetrators will be held accountable. The Government is urged to immediately allow unrestricted humanitarian access to the displaced population in Puncak Utara and other conflict areas, ensuring the protection of civilian populations as mandated under Indonesia's obligations under the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute.
Legal and human rights assessment
The killings of Sole Mosip and Agus Murib constitute grave breaches of international humanitarian law, particularly the principles of distinction and proportionality as outlined in Article 51 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions. The deliberate use of aerial munitions in civilian zones without sufficient precautionary measures violates the obligation to distinguish between combatants and civilians. Article 51(4) of Additional Protocol I and Rule 71 of Customary International Humanitarian Law (CIHL) both prohibit indiscriminate weapons and tactics that cannot distinguish between combatants and civilians. The deliberate endangerment of non-combatants through the use of explosives on public roads may amount to a serious war crime and demands immediate investigation, demining, and legal accountability for those responsible.
The incidents further raise concerns under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right to life and prohibits arbitrary deprivation.