Land conflict in East Adonara 2026: Three residents shot, homes burned

A land dispute in East Adonara District, East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT) resurfaced on Friday morning, 6 March 2026, pitting residents of Bele hamlet, Waiburak Village, against residents of Narasaosina Village. The violent incident left three people wounded by improvised firearms, and sparked a major fire that consumed several houses and public buildings in Narasaosina. Field reports indicate the dispute has long centred on land ownership around the area of Toko Serba 35. Tensions escalated to the point where improvised bombs were thrown and improvised firearms were used by those involved. Video clips circulating on social media show flames engulfing houses with thick smoke billowing high, causing widespread panic in an open area near the main road. Dr. Danny Gunawan, Director of Adonara Pratama Hospital, confirmed that three adult men were admitted to the emergency department with gunshot wounds to the thigh and leg. One victim remains under intensive medical observation after projectile extraction, while the other two have been discharged. In addition to the gunshot injuries, a Narasaosina resident woman was reported to have suffered scrapes from a fall while attempting to flee the conflict area. Residents planning to pass through the East Adonara sub-district were urged to seek alternate routes or delay travel to avoid the conflict area, which remained under tight security. Flores Timur Police Chief AKBP Adhitya Octorio Putra said joint personnel from the Indonesian Military (TNI) and Police had been deployed to the scene to quell the situation. Authorities conducted crowd control and positioned officers at vulnerable points to prevent reprisals. “We have moved personnel there for security. We are also taking humanitarian steps including evacuating vulnerable residents and schoolchildren trapped near the area,” he said. Security forces remained at the scene while engaging with community leaders from both villages to reach a peace agreement and prevent the conflict from spreading to other parts of Adonara Island. In related developments, the Governor of NTT, Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, warned of potential serious impacts on around 9,000 contract-based civil servants (PPPK) within the provincial government. The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (Kemen PPPA) is overseeing the repatriation of 13 individuals suspected of trafficking (TPPO) from West Java who were discovered in Sikka Regency. Investigators from Belu Police wrote Article 473(4) of the Indonesian Penal Code as amended by Law No. 1 of 2026 on Penal Penalty Adjustments in relation to this case. Sulianto Indria Putra, via the TWS community, has initiated financial and material support designed to be long-term, even lifelong, for those teachers involved.