A security operation in the Dekai District of Yahukimo Regency, Papua, resulted in the deaths of two alleged members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) and one civilian, according to local human rights monitors and security forces. The incident highlights ongoing armed conflict in the region between Indonesian state security personnel and independence fighters.
Details of the Security Operation in Dekai District
The clash occurred during a joint military and police raid targeting a suspected TPNPB hideout in Dekai, the capital of Yahukimo Regency. According to reports from the Human Rights Monitor and local authorities, the operation escalated into an exchange of gunfire that left two insurgent fighters dead alongside one civilian caught in the crossfire. Security forces seized several items during the raid, including sharp weapons and communication devices, according to regional police statements.
Local human rights advocates have called for an independent investigation into the civilian casualty to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the death. Armed clashes between Indonesian security forces and the TPNPB—the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM)—frequently occur in the Papua region, where a decades-long insurgency persists.
Broader Conflict Context in Papua
The Yahukimo Regency remains one of several high-security zones in the Papua region, alongside districts like Nduga and Intan Jaya. According to data compiled by human rights organizations, increased military and police deployments in recent years have led to frequent firefights, often displacing local residents and resulting in casualties on both sides as well as among non-combatants.
Security officials maintain that operations in Dekai are necessary to maintain public order and neutralize armed threats from separatist factions. Meanwhile, civil society groups continue to document casualties and press for transparent investigations into operational conduct involving civilian populations in conflict-affected areas.