Jakarta. The Indonesian Military has established five new infantry battalions to be deployed in conflict-prone areas of Papua, Armed Forces Commander General Agus Subiyanto announced on Wednesday.

The primary mission of these battalions is to maintain security and support the government’s development efforts in the eastern region of Indonesia.

“We have inaugurated five battalions to be stationed in vulnerable areas of Papua. Their goal is to assist the government in accelerating development and improving the prosperity of the Papuan people,” Agus said during a press briefing in Jakarta.

These ground forces will help secure major government projects, such as the food security program covering over 1,000 hectares of crops in Merauke Regency, and key road construction projects across Papua.

The newly established units are:

• Ksatria Yuddha Kentsuwri 801st Infantry Battalion for Keerom Regency,
• Wimane Mambe Jaya 802nd Infantry Battalion for Sarmi Regency,
• Nduka Adyatma Yuddha 803rd Infantry Battalion for Boven Digoel Regency,
• Dharma Bhakti Asasta Yudha 804th Infantry Battalion for Merauke Regency, and
• Ksatria Satya Waninggap 805th Infantry Battalion for Sorong Regency.

In recent years, Papua has seen an escalation in insurgent activity, with sporadic attacks on both civilian and military targets. The Free Papua Movement (OPM) has been responsible for abductions and killings, particularly targeting construction workers involved in key infrastructure projects aimed at improving connectivity in the region.

A notable incident involved the abduction of New Zealand pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens, who was held hostage by an OPM rebel group for nearly 20 months before being released last month.