List of 3 Civil Servants Killed in KKB Shooting During Rice Field Project Inspection

Three Civil Servants (ASN) from Jayawijaya Regency were killed in a shooting by the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) on Wednesday (9/9).

The Head of Public Relations for the Damai Cartenz Operation, Kombes Yusuf Sutejo, stated that the tragic incident occurred in the Muliama area, Highland Papua, at approximately 15:53 WIT.

According to information from the BKN Regional Office 14 Instagram account, the three victims were identified as the Head of the Livestock Division of the Jayawijaya Agriculture Office, Aprida Rapi; a veterinarian from the Jayawijaya Health Office, Alfonsius Albinus Mehan; and a civil servant candidate, Willi Mbuik. The identities of the three victims have also been confirmed by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Yusuf stated that at the time, a group of 11 employees from the Agriculture Office was travelling from Wamena to Muliama to inspect the implementation of a rice field cultivation project.

However, mid-journey, the group was attacked by the KKB. As a result, he said, the victim Willi (24) sustained a gunshot wound to his right waist. “The victim passed away at the Wamena Regional General Hospital after receiving medical treatment,” he said in a written statement.

Meanwhile, Aprida (49) suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and died at the scene. Alfonsius sustained gunshot wounds to the back of the head and left hand, also dying at the scene.

“Security officers are still investigating the sequence of events and the motive behind this incident to ensure all facts are thoroughly established,” he noted.

Following the incident, Yusuf said a joint team from the Damai Cartenz Operation Task Force and the Jayawijaya Police immediately moved to the location to secure the area and conduct an investigation.

He mentioned that the joint team also conducted sweeps around the Muliama Community Health Centre area and the suspected shooting site. Additionally, the team managed to secure eight witnesses who were travelling with the victims at the time of the incident.

“Based on investigations and further inquiries, the shooting is suspected to have been carried out by the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) from the Nduga region. However, security officers are still conducting investigations and gathering evidence to confirm the identity and involvement of the perpetrators,” he said.