Antara, Yahukimo, Papua – Indonesian troops have recovered the bodies of two civilians allegedly killed by separatist fighters in the eastern Papua Highlands province after an evacuation operation that briefly erupted into a firefight, the military said on Friday.
The military's Habema Joint Regional Defense Command said the victims were found near the Trans Papua Highway in Seradala district, Yahukimo regency, following an attack that authorities blamed on the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM), specifically the Yahukimo regional command allegedly led by Kopitua Heluka.
The evacuation mission took place on Thursday under difficult conditions, with troops navigating mountainous terrain, adverse weather, high river levels, and ongoing security risks.
According to the military, troops came under fire from suspected TPNPB-OPM members as they approached the recovery site, triggering a brief exchange of gunfire. One suspected separatist fighter was reported killed during the clash, while no military personnel were injured.
After securing the area, soldiers recovered the two bodies from beneath the Ahom River bridge, near the section of the Trans Papua Highway where the attack occurred.
The remains were transported to Dekai Regional Hospital for identification before being handed over to the victims' families. A joint search team is continuing efforts to locate a woman from the Unaukam Indigenous community who remains missing, the military said.
Maj. Gen. Yudha Airlangga, commander of TNI Habema, offered his condolences to the victims' families, saying that losing loved ones to violence was "a deep wound not only for the victims' families, but also for the people of Papua who aspire to live in peace and safety."
The recovery operation followed an attack on Monday in Yahukimo in which Indonesian authorities said three civilians were killed by armed separatists.
The TPNPB-OPM has claimed responsibility for the shootings. In a statement issued on July 21, the group's central command said fighters from its Yahukimo regional command, together with personnel from its Ndugama Derakma unit, carried out the attack. The group alleged the three civilians were Indonesian intelligence operatives and also claimed responsibility for shooting a police officer.
Indonesian authorities have not publicly confirmed the TPNPB-OPM's assertion that the civilians were intelligence personnel.