Farouk Arnaz – Police officer Ridwan Napitupulu died on Monday morning, nearly four days after he was wounded during an attack in Jayapura, the capital of Papua.

Ridwan's death brings the total number of police officers killed this year in Papua to five, a painful reminder that violence is on the rise in the restive province.

First Brig. Ridwan and another officer, Second Brig. Dian Budi Santoso, were out on patrol for signs of the banned Morning Star independence flag in the early hours of Thursday, the 50th anniversary of the declaration of an independent West Papuan state.

As the two officers made their way through the city, they were attacked with bows and arrows. Budi escaped, but the attackers caught Ridwan and beat him.

On Monday, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said Ridwan died from his injures at 12.35 a.m. and that his remains had been transported to his hometown, Medan, on Monday afternoon.

Ridwan's death comes after two members of the police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob), First Brig. Feriyanto Kaluku and First Brig. Eko Afriansyah, were shot and killed on Saturday when assailants opened fire on a police patrol in the Puncak Jaya highlands of central Papua. An exchange of fire between the police and the attackers lasted about 30 minutes. Another officer was wounded in the attack.

National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo said all three dead officers would receive posthumous promotions in honor of their service. Police spokesman Saud said that Ridwan's death symbolized the escalating violence in Papua.

In 2009, one police officer died and 12 more were wounded in a series of shootouts in the province between the police and suspected members of the armed Free Papua Organization (OPM). Last year, 64 police officers were wounded, but none died.

Saud said that investigating the shootings had been close to impossible. "There are virtually no witnesses and evidence is scarce," he said.

In October, the chief of the Mulia city police, Dominggus Awes, was killed at an airport in Puncak Jaya district. Two men attacked him, grabbed his gun and shot him with it. He died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Mulia was also the scene of another attack in June, when First Brig. Muhammad Yasin died after a group of men stole his handgun and shot him with it.

Suspected separatist militias are also believed to have been behind the deaths of four soldiers in Papua this year.

In July, First Pvt. Lukas Yahya Kafiar was shot in the head and died instantly after a group of armed men ambushed a routine military patrol in Puncak Jaya.

In August, First Pvt. Dominikus Kerapwas was among three people who were killed in an early morning ambush on public minivans in Nafri village, near the Papua capital. The assailants reportedly blocked vehicles passing by the location, and then attacked the drivers and passengers using a variety of weapons, including an ax and a gun.

That same month, First Pvt. Fana Suhandi, a member of the 753 Battalion, died after being shot in Puncak Jaya. Fana had been guarding a military post in Tingginambut subdistrict when he was killed instantly after being shot in the chest. The helicopter used to transport his body was also shot at en route from the Puncak Jaya capital, Mulia, to Wamena in Jayawijaya district.

Just weeks later, Capt. Tasman, from the Cenderawasih XVII Military Regional Command, was stabbed to death on his way to work. The attack took place near a housing complex on Jalan Baru in Heram, Jayapura.

Papua Police Chief Insp. Gen. Bigman Lumban Tobing said the police were still investigating how rebel groups had been obtaining their arms.

"So far there is no indication that police officers or military soldiers are involved in supplying weapons to armed groups," he said, as quoted by state-run news agency Antara. "Generally the situation in Papua is under control. Hopefully there will be no more disturbances for the rest of the year."

Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Wachyono said the police would start conducing raids for illicit firearms. "They obtain their weapons by stealing them from the police or military because right now we don't have a lot of smuggled arms," he said. "The police will increase operations to look for illegal arms in Papua from the air, sea and land."