Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura, Papua – A military officer was wounded in a shooting between police officers and soldiers in restive Papua province on Monday.

"It happened in Pirime, Lany Jaya district, this afternoon," Maj. Gen. Fransen G. Siahaan, head of the Cenderawasih military command, told the Jakarta Globe on Monday.

Fransen said the fight broke out when members of the National Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) were conducting a raid in Pirime subdistrict.

One member of the Armed Forces (TNI) happened to pass by in a truck. The patrolling Brimob officers insisted on searching the soldier, despite his claim that he was TNI. "There was a misunderstanding, the Brimob officer scolded the soldier and said: 'I am not afraid of soldiers!" Fransen said.

The argument escalated and the soldier, whose identity has not been disclosed, stepped out of the truck and walked to the TNI post in Pirime to report the incident to his commander. The post commander, Lt. Ali, along with several of his men, and the chief of Pirime Police, headed to the location to restore calm.

"But when they approached with the truck, the commander and the police chief were shot – maybe the Brimob members thought they came to retaliate and therefore they opened fire," Fransen said. He added that Ali was shot in his leg.

Fransen said the situation in Pirime was under control after the gunfire. He said he had coordinated with the chief of Papua Police to disarm all involved.

Papua Police Chief Insp. Gen. Yotje Mende, however, denied the incident in Pirime altogether. "It is not true that there has been a shooting between the police and TNI," he said.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/tni-officer-shot-police-papua/