Intan Setiawanty, Jakarta – Indonesia's Directorate General of Immigration has detained 26 Chinese nationals following an attack on Indonesian military personnel during a training session in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan. Authorities are currently reviewing the immigration documents of those detained.
Acting Director General of Immigration Yuldi Yusman said the operation is being conducted in coordination with multiple agencies.
"Our central office team has been deployed to assist Ketapang Immigration, with support from the police," Yuldi said at the Immigration Directorate General office in Jakarta on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
All detained Chinese foreign nationals are being held at the Ketapang Immigration Office, where officials are verifying the completeness and validity of their documents.
"They are currently secured and undergoing further inspection related to their immigration status," Yuldi added.
He also noted that the number of detainees could increase. Of the 34 foreign nationals present at the location, 26 have been detained. The others were absent during the initial operation, with some traveling to Pontianak for visa extensions, some ill, and others staying at a hotel.
The alleged acts of vandalism and violence will be investigated separately by the Ketapang Regional Police.
Attack details
The National Armed Forces (TNI) confirmed that soldiers from the Combat Engineer Battalion (Zipur) 6/Division Unit were attacked during a training session in Ketapang Regency on Sunday, December 14, 2025. The incident involved 15 foreign nationals from Beijing.
Infantry Colonel Yusub Dody Sandra, Head of Information for the XII/Tanjungpura Military Command, said the attack occurred around 03:40 PM WIB on property owned by PT SRM.
"Four TNI personnel were assaulted while conducting training within the unit," he said in a written statement on Tuesday, December 16.
The incident began when Zipur 6/SD personnel received a report from PT SRM security about a drone operating near the training area. Upon investigation, they found four foreign nationals from Beijing controlling the unmanned aircraft.
These individuals were questioned, but the situation escalated when 11 additional foreign nationals appeared and attacked the soldiers. The attackers were reportedly armed with machetes, airsoft guns, and an electric shock device.
The assault resulted in material damage, including a heavily damaged company Toyota Hilux and a Honda Vario motorcycle owned by PT SRM employees. Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries among the TNI personnel.