Weekend Shootings in Papua Leave Officer Dead, Six Wounded
Jakarta. Six members of the Papua Police's Mobile Brigade, or Brimob, and a civilian were shot by gunmen in Utikini, Tembagapura district, on Saturday (21/10) and Sunday. One of the officers succumbed to his injuries.
Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Commr. Suryadi Diaz told the Jakarta Globe on Monday that four officers were wounded in an exchange of fire on Utikini bridge with gunmen believed to be by Sabinus Waker.
Tembagapura is about an hour's drive from the Grasberg mine operated by Freeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of United States mining giant Feeport-McMoRan.
The incident took place following a police hunt after a similar incident on Saturday that wounded two officers. Second Brig. Berry Pratama Putra died on the way to a hospital in Freeport, Suryadi said.
"This afternoon the body of Second Brig. Berry Pratama Putra was sent to Bengkulu, where he came from," Suryadi explained.
Police said the hunt for Sabinus's group started on Saturday, after gunmen shot a Freeport contractor's employee.
Investigators believe that Sabinus and his men are responsible for all three incidents, Suryadi said. The group reportedly consists of 20 people.
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