TNI identifies Freeport attacker
TNI identifies Freeport attacker
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Military (TNI) has identified one of the attackers
who killed three Freeport Indonesia employees on Saturday as a
member of Free Papua Organization (OPM), an officer said on
Wednesday.
TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told The Jakarta
Post the OPM figure in question was Titus Murif, whose group
opened fire on a convoy of cars carrying the gold and copper mine
company employees on their way to Tembagapura in Papua on
Saturday. Apart from the casualties, 12 people were injured in
the incident in a place where security used to be tight.
"Titus Murif is a leader of a hard-line faction of OPM and is
one of Kelly Kwalik's subordinates," Sjafrie said.
Kelly is a rebel leader, who was held responsible for
abduction of foreign and local researchers in 1996.
Sjafrie said the projectiles discovered at the site of
incident were from M-16 A1 automatic and SP-1 semiautomatic
rifles.
He, nevertheless, refused to estimate the strength of Titus'
group, but underlined that "they are just a little group who are
trying to show that they exist."
Earlier, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu claimed
that the military was seeking around 15 rebels linked to the
ambush who "conducted an attack in a territory belonging to
Kwalik's separatist rebel group."
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar did not immediately
point the finger at OPM, saying that the police were still unsure
about the identity of the perpetrators.
Da'i is currently visiting the province in an attempt to
collect more first-hand information about the attack.
Asked how the group managed to enter the compound which is
tightly guarded, Sjafrie refused to speculate.
"In this unconventional war, OPM is on the alert, waiting
until security officers lose their concentration. And that was
what exactly what happened there," he said.
He rejected speculation that TNI and the Army's Special Force
(Kopassus) Tribuana stationed in the territory backed the attack.