Security forces reportedly open fire at a group ofsix indigenous Papuan civilians near Samboga Village, Yahukimo Regency, on 18 September 2026, while returning from a local gold-panning site. Personnel from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) allegedly released shots without prior warning. All six sustained gunshot wounds during the incident. Mr Pilatus Porpom, 25, and Mr Daniel Timuka, 19, were evacuated to the Yahukimo Regional General Hospital (RSUD) in Dekai on 22 September 2026. Four other men could be located and subsequently evacuated with gunshot wounds on 23 September 2026.
According to local sources, a group of six indigenous Papuan men left a gold-panning site near Samboga Village on 18 September 2026. The men were reportedly returning to their homes after completing their work. All are local civilians relying on farming and small-scale gold panning for their livelihoods.
The sources allege that security personnel had been monitoring the group's movements through aerial surveillance using drones. Members of the Indonesian military and police were reportedly deployed near the end of a paved road and a river crossing along the route towards Samboga Village. The reports identify personnel from the Habema Task Force, Operation Damai Cartenz, the Rajawali Task Force and the Indonesian Marine Corps as having participated in the security operation. The precise composition of the units present at the shooting location and the involvement of individual personnel have not been independently established.
At approximately 12.15 am, the group allegedly encountered security personnel near the end of the paved road. The officers reportedly opened fire without issuing a warning or attempting to establish the men's identities. Mr Pilatus Porpom and Mr Daniel Timuka, sustained serious gunshot injuries, while four others reportedly fled into the surrounding forest (see photos below, source: indepndent HRD). The precise circumstances and extent of the injuries suffered by the four missing men remain unclear.
The injured men reportedly remained without adequate medical assistance for several days. According to local sources, Indonesian military personnel had restricted overland access to Samboga Village from 18 September 2026, preventing relatives and humanitarian responders from reaching the victims and transporting them to hospital.
On 22 September 2026, a joint humanitarian team comprising representatives of the Yahukimo Churches' Association (PGGY), traditional leaders, relatives, village heads and humanitarian activists conducted an evacuation operation. The team succeeded in evacuating Mr Porpom and Timuka to the Yahukimo Regional General Hospital in Dekai (see photos below, source: independent HRD).
Both men were reportedly in critical condition when they reached the hospital. According to the latest information received, they required intensive medical treatment, with the presence of retained bullets reported in their bodies. Their subsequent medical condition and the precise nature of their injuries have not yet been independently verified. The remaining victims were evacuated to the Yahukimo General Hospital on 23 September 2026. All of them sustained gunshot wounds and needed intense medical care.
Alleged intimidation of civilians and damage to a church
The reported shooting occurred in the context of a wider security operation affecting Samboga Village and its surrounding areas. Local sources alleged that military and police personnel intimidated residents, restricted their movements and interfered with civilian activities. During the operation, security personnel allegedly beat a young man.
Residents also reported that security personnel entered and damaged the GJRP Amal Samba Church in Samboga Village. According to the accounts received, the church doors, pews and pulpit were severely damaged. (see photos below, source: Kingmi Papua) The alleged destruction of the church and intimidation of residents have heightened concerns about the protection of civilian infrastructure, religious facilities and witnesses during security operations in Yahukimo Regency.
Responses from religious and traditional leaders
Religious leaders condemned the reported shooting and the alleged destruction of the GJRP Amal Samba Church. They emphasised that security operations must not target unarmed civilians and called for the Indonesian authorities to take responsibility for the damage reportedly caused by their personnel.
Traditional leaders stressed that security personnel operating in West Papua must understand the livelihoods and cultural practices of indigenous communities. He explained that many residents depend on farming, hunting, fishing, sago harvesting and other subsistence activities, frequently requiring them to travel through forests and remote areas. He cautioned against treating civilians as members of armed groups merely because they are travelling through such areas or carrying traditional hunting equipment. Given the ancestral relationship between indigenous communities and their customary lands, security personnel must respect the rights of local communities and exercise restraint when conducting operations in areas inhabited by indigenous peoples.
Community representatives called upon the Yahukimo Regency Government to facilitate unrestricted humanitarian access to the affected communities. They urged Regent Didimus Yahuli and the leadership of the Yahukimo Regency Regional People's Representative Council (DPRK) to ensure that residents could resume their normal activities without being indiscriminately treated as members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB). Relatives of the victims similarly rejected the alleged indiscriminate identification of local residents as members of armed groups. They emphasised their status as civilians and their longstanding connection to the affected villages.
Church representatives and traditional leaders also called for dialogue between the Indonesian Government and the TPNPB as a means of addressing the continuing armed conflict and preventing further civilian casualties.
Human rights analysis
Alleged unlawful use of lethal force and violation of the right to life. The reported shooting raises serious concerns under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects the right to life and prohibits arbitrary deprivation of life. Under the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, intentional lethal force may be used only when strictly unavoidable to protect life. If the six men were unarmed civilians returning from their workplace and did not pose an imminent threat of death or serious injury, the reported use of firearms would raise serious concerns regarding necessity and proportionality. If the incident occurred in connection with the conduct of hostilities during an armed conflict, the applicable rules of international humanitarian law would additionally prohibit directing attacks against civilians and require compliance with the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack. The mere presence of civilians in a conflict-affected area or their engagement in traditional subsistence activities does not, in itself, make them lawful military targets.
The reported restrictions on humanitarian access, which allegedly prevented the timely evacuation of the two seriously injured men, raise additional concerns regarding the rights to life and health under Articles 6 of the ICCPR and 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). International humanitarian law requires parties to armed conflict to take all possible measures to search for, collect and care for the wounded and sick without adverse distinction. If military personnel deliberately prevented medical assistance from reaching injured civilians without a lawful justification, their actions could constitute a serious violation of applicable international obligations. The continuing uncertainty surrounding the whereabouts of four men also requires an urgent and effective search, including verification of whether any of them have been apprehended by security forces.
The reported beating of a potential witness raises concerns under Article 7 of the ICCPR, which prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. If the alleged assault was intended to prevent the disclosure of information about the shooting, it would also raise concerns regarding witness protection and interference with efforts to establish accountability. The reported damages to the GIDI church requires investigation under Article 18 of the ICCPR, which protects freedom of religion, as well as the applicable rules of international humanitarian law concerning the protection of civilian objects and places of worship. Furthermore, the reported restrictions on movement and subsistence activities should be assessed in light of the rights of indigenous communities to maintain their traditional livelihoods, cultural practices and relationship with their ancestral lands, including the protections afforded by Articles 17 and 27 of the ICCPR and Articles 10, 20 and 26 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
The Indonesian authorities have an obligation to conduct a prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into the reported shooting, the alleged obstruction of medical assistance, the reported assault on a potential witness and the destruction of the church. Investigators should establish the identities and command structures of the security personnel involved, obtain operational orders and deployment records, preserve relevant surveillance and ballistic evidence, and document the injuries sustained by the victims. The investigation should determine whether the use of firearms complied with the applicable legal framework and whether any individual or command responsibility arises from the conduct of the operation. Effective safeguards must be established to protect victims, witnesses and their relatives against intimidation or retaliation. Where evidence establishes criminal responsibility, those responsible should be prosecuted in accordance with international fair-trial standards, and victims should receive appropriate medical care, rehabilitation and effective remedies.
Detailed case data
Document ID: HRM-CAS-130-2026
Location: Samboga, Seradala, Yahukimo regency, Highland Papua, Indonesia (-5.1007414, 140.0393017)
Region: Indonesia > Highland Papua > Yahukimo > Seradala
Total number of victims: dozens
1. Pilatus Porpom, male 25 Indigenous Peoples ill-treatment, right to life
2. Daniel Timuka, male 19 Indigenous Peoples ill-treatment, right to life
3. Kani Porpom, male 20 Indigenous Peoples ill-treatment, right to life
4. Yanus Patika, male 28 Indigenous Peoples ill-treatment, right to life
5. Elli Timuka, male 28 Indigenous Peoples ill-treatment, right to life
6. Yonas Aje, male 22 Indigenous Peoples ill-treatment, right to life
7. male unknown Indigenous Peoples ill-treatment
8. dozens, mixed unknown Indigenous Peoples intimidation
Period of incident: 18/09/2026-22/09/2026
Perpetrator: Republic Indonesia > Indonesian Security Forces
Perpetrator details: Habema Task Force, Operation Damai Cartenz, the Rajawali Task Force and the Indonesian Marine Corps
Issues: drones and cluster ammunition, indigenous peoples, security force violence