Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papua National Liberation Army's (TPNPB) Ndugama-Derakma regional command has claimed responsibility for a shooting that killed three civil servants in Jayawijaya Regency, in Indonesia's Highland Papua province.
The three victims were employees of the Jayawijaya Regency Agriculture Department. They were identified as Alvonsius Albinus Mehan, 35, Alprida Rapi, 49, and Willi Mbuik, 24.
TPNPB-OPM spokesperson Sebby Sambom said the group's national headquarters had received an official report from the commander of TPNPB's Ndugama-Derakma regional command, Brigadier General Egianus Kogeya, claiming responsibility for the shooting.
Mr Sambom alleged the three men were Indonesian military intelligence agents working as civil servants in the Jayawijaya Agriculture Department.
According to Mr Sambom, Mr Kogeya said his forces stopped the vehicle carrying the victims on the Wamena-Tiom Trans Papua road, searched their belongings and instructed everyone inside to remain calm and stay in the vehicle.
He said the three victims then allegedly attempted to flee after becoming frightened, and were shot by TPNPB members.
"If they survived, they would report or disclose information to the Indonesian military about the presence of TPNPB forces in Muliama District, near Wamena," Mr Sambom said in a written statement on Thursday.
Mr Sambom also issued a warning calling on people to comply with what he described as the group's ultimatum, saying the TPNPB's Ndugama-Derakma command was prepared to expand armed conflict to Wamena, the capital of Jayawijaya Regency.
He said vehicles travelling along several major routes in Papua, including Wamena-Tiom, Wamena-Yalimo and Wamena-Jayapura, should comply with instructions issued by the group.
Mr Sambom further claimed that Papuans and non-Papuans working as village heads, civil servants or in other government positions could be considered targets because the group viewed them as part of the Indonesian Government's presence in Papua.
The group also alleged that an employee or Indonesian migrant working at the Highland Papua Governor's Office in Wamena was linked to Indonesia's State Intelligence Agency, an allegation that could not be independently verified.
TPNPB's national headquarters called on people it described as being involved with the Indonesian military to leave Wamena and other areas of Papua.
The group also called on the Indonesian Government to open international negotiations with the TPNPB to address what it described as the political roots of the long-running armed conflict in Papua.
Meanwhile, the head of the Indonesian National Youth Committee's (KNPI) Muliama District branch, Aleks Lengka, said traffic and community activities along the Wamena-Tiom road had been running normally before the incident.
He said a group of Agriculture Department employees travelling to Piramid District in a Strada vehicle was stopped by unidentified people outside a school in Muliama village at about 3pm Papua time.
"They were all ordered out. The Indigenous Papuans were released, while three migrant employees were shot dead. Afterward, the perpetrators raised the Morning Star flag and fled," Mr Lengka said in an audio recording provided to Jubi.
Indonesia's Cartenz Peace Taskforce said its preliminary investigation indicated the shooting was allegedly carried out by an armed group believed to be linked to the TPNPB from Nduga Regency.
The three victims were part of a group of 11 people returning after inspecting a rice field development project.
The group had travelled from Wamena to Muliama District to inspect the project and was reportedly intercepted by an armed group while returning to Wamena.
According to the Cartenz Peace Taskforce, eight people in the group, including Indigenous Papuans and a young child, were separated from the three employees described by authorities as migrants.
The three employees were then allegedly shot.
Alvonsius Albinus Mehan suffered gunshot wounds to the back of his head and his left hand and died at the scene.
Willi Mbuik was shot in the right side of his waist and later died at Wamena Regional Hospital after receiving medical treatment.
Alprida Rapi suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was declared dead at the scene.
The head of the 2026 Cartenz Peace Operation, Inspector General Faizal Ramadhani, said a joint police taskforce and Jayawijaya Police officers were immediately deployed to secure the area and investigate.
Police also searched the area around the Muliama Community Health Centre and other locations believed to be connected to the shooting.
Eight witnesses who had been travelling with the victims were taken into police protection and questioned to help investigators establish the sequence of events and identify those involved.
However, Mr Ramadhani said authorities were still gathering evidence and information to confirm the identities and involvement of the alleged perpetrators.
"We are ensuring that the investigation is carried out thoroughly to establish the chronology, identify the perpetrators and ensure they are held accountable under the law," Mr Ramadhani said in a written statement.
He said violence against civilians could not be justified and that security forces would continue their investigation to identify and arrest those responsible.
The deputy head of the Cartenz Peace Operation, Senior Commissioner Adarma Sinaga, urged people in Jayawijaya to remain calm and not be provoked by unverified information.
"We urge everyone to remain calm and trust the security authorities to handle this case," Mr Sinaga said.
The Cartenz Peace Taskforce and Jayawijaya Police said they would continue investigating the shooting and gathering witness statements, with the case to be handled professionally and based on available evidence.