An 18-year-old Papuan girl named Mrs Penti Weya, was reportedly killed by a suspected drone-delivered explosive in Wunapunggu Village, Melagi District, Lanny Jaya Regency, on the morning of Sunday, 7 June 2026. According to various sources, the explosion occurred in a civilian residential area. Mrs Weya sustained lethal injuries as a result of shrapnel during the attack, including extensive wounds to her left and right arm, face and chest. Following the incident, relatives cremated the body in accordance with local customs (see photo below, source: independent HRD).
According to reports received from local sources, Indonesian military personnel (TNI) allegedly conducted an aerial operation using an unmanned drone over Wunapunggu Village on the morning of 7 June 2026. The drone reportedly dropped an explosive which exploded right next to Mr Penti Weya, causing fatal injuries. The explosion also left a crater at the scene (see photo on top, source: independent HRD) and triggered panic amongst local residents, many of whom reportedly fled the area fearing further attacks. At the time of writing, no official statement has been issued by the TNI regarding the incident.
Local sources reported that further reported that aerial operations in the Melagi District area remained ongoing following the incident.
Human rights analysis
If confirmed, the deliberate or indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in or near civilian-populated areas raises serious concerns under international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL). Parties to an armed conflict are required to distinguish at all times between civilians and military objectives and to take all feasible precautions to minimise civilian harm. Attacks directed against civilians or carried out without adequate precautions may constitute serious violations of IHL. The reported killing of Mrs Penti Weya also engages Indonesia's obligations under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects the right to life. The use of lethal force resulting in civilian deaths must be subject to a prompt, effective, independent and impartial investigation capable of establishing the facts, identifying those responsible and providing accountability and remedies to victims' families.
Detailed case data
Document ID: HRM-CAS-075-2026
Region: Indonesia > Highland Papua > Lanny Jaya > Melagi
Total number of victims: 1
1. Penti Weya, female 18 Indigenous Peoples execution, right to life, unlawful killing
Period of incident: 07/06/2026-07/06/2026
Perpetrator: Republic Indonesia > Indonesian Security Forces > Indonesian Military (TNI)
Issues: security force violence, women and children
Sources: Detik Papua, Tomei.ID