Three Indonesian civilians killed by an armed group in Papua

Indonesian authorities launched an immediate response following a fatal shooting that killed three Jayawijaya Regency officials. Photo: Indonesian National Police.

Three Indonesian government agriculture officials were killed in a suspected attack by an armed group in Papua on Wednesday while returning from distributing food aid to communities in the highlands, police and officials said.

The three were shot in Muliama district, Jayawijaya regency, in Indonesia's mountainous Papua region, while travelling with colleagues after distributing food and livestock assistance in Kimbim village.

Police said the attack occurred at about 3:47 p.m. local time as the group was travelling towards Wamena. The three victims were taken to Wamena Regional Hospital but died from their gunshot wounds.

Police identified the victims as Alfonsius Albinus Mehan, 35, a veterinary doctor with the Jayawijaya administration; Aprida Rapi, 49, head of the livestock and animal health division at the agriculture office; and Wili Mbuik, 25, a prospective civil servant.

Papua police operations chief Faizal Ramadhani said preliminary investigations indicated that members of the Ndugama III Command of an armed group were suspected of carrying out the shooting, but authorities were still investigating the identities of the perpetrators and their motive.

"The suspected perpetrators are members of the Ndugama III armed group, but who specifically carried out the shooting is still being investigated," Faizal said, according to state news agency Antara.

Five other members of the group escaped to a local health centre and were questioned by police, while authorities evacuated the victims to Wamena.

The killings drew condemnation from Amnesty International Indonesia, which said the deliberate killing of civilians constituted a serious violation of humanitarian law.

Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, said civilians must be protected by all sides involved in the long-running conflict in Papua and that those responsible for the killings should be brought to justice.

"All parties involved in the prolonged conflict in Papua must avoid the killing of civilians," Usman said.

He also criticised what he described as the government's security and militaristic approach in Papua, saying a more repressive approach should be withdrawn as part of efforts to resolve the conflict.

Lawmakers also condemned the attack. Mafirion, a member of Parliament's Commission XIII, said the three officials were civilians carrying out public service duties and should not have been targeted.

He called on security forces to investigate the killings and ensure that civilians working and living in conflict-affected areas were protected.

The attack occurred as the officials were returning to Wamena after delivering food and livestock assistance to people in remote areas.

Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said the three officials had died while carrying out their duties and urged security forces, including the Cartenz Peace Operations Task Force and the military and police, to identify and prosecute those responsible.

Amran also said government food and livestock assistance to remote communities in Papua should continue despite security threats.

The latest killings add to longstanding concerns over violence between Indonesian security forces and armed groups in Papua, where an insurgency has persisted for decades.

Authorities have yet to establish a definitive motive for Wednesday's attack and are continuing to question witnesses and survivors.