Sriwijaya Military Police Arrest Suspects in Shooting of Army Soldier at Cafe

The Military Police of the Sriwijaya Regional Military Command (Pomdam II/Sriwijaya) has arrested the suspected perpetrators of a shooting that killed an Indonesian Army soldier at the Pan Head Cafe in Palembang during the early hours of Saturday (16/5).

According to a written statement by the Commander of the Sriwijaya Regional Military Command, Lieutenant Colonel Yordania, the victim was identified as Ferischal Alfarizky Abelsa, a soldier from the Palembang Military Health Detachment (Denkesyah). Within 24 hours of the incident, authorities identified and detained two suspects: Sergeant MRN and a civilian identified by the initials DS.

Sergeant MRN was apprehended in the parking area of Bhayangkara Hospital. Both the suspects and witnesses are currently being held at the Madenpom II/4 facility for further investigation.

The incident reportedly began around 02:30 WIB when the victim and the suspects were at the entertainment venue. A personal dispute escalated into a physical altercation, during which Sergeant MRN allegedly used a homemade improvised firearm to shoot the victim. Although the victim was rushed to Permata Palembang Hospital, he was pronounced dead at 03:45 WIB.

Following the incident, the Palembang Military Police conducted a crime scene investigation, interviewed 21 witnesses, and secured CCTV footage. An autopsy revealed that the victim died from a gunshot wound to the lower right abdomen that pierced vital organs, causing severe haemorrhaging. The projectile has been removed from the body, and ballistic testing by the South Sumatra Regional Police Forensic Laboratory is pending.

The improvised firearm used in the attack was discovered at the residence of the civilian suspect, DS, in the Srimulya area of Palembang on Saturday night.

The Commander of the Sriwijaya Regional Military Command has ordered a thorough investigation into the matter. The legal proceedings against Sergeant MRN will be handled by the Military Prosecutor’s Office (Oditurat Militer I-05) Palembang, while the case against the civilian, DS, will be referred to the Palembang City Police. The Regional Military Command reaffirmed its commitment to strictly punishing any legal violations committed by its personnel in accordance with established procedures.