Pregnant Woman, Unborn Child Killed in Papua Gunfight

A pregnant woman and her unborn child were killed by stray bullets during a recent clash between the Indonesian military (TNI) and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM) in Papua. Komnas HAM, Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights, reported the tragic deaths of Meliana Duwitau and her seven-to-eight-month-old fetus. The incident took place in the Wandoga village, Sugapa district, Intan Jaya Regency, Papua Tengah province, on Thursday night. Duwitau was reportedly inside her own home when she was struck by gunfire. Komnas HAM described her as a civilian victim of the relentless violence escalating in Papua. This event is part of a disturbing pattern of increased conflict in the region over the past week. The commission also noted the deaths of a pastor and a foreign pilot during similar recent incidents. The TNI stated that the bullets hitting civilians originated from the armed group. However, Komnas HAM emphasized that independent verification of this claim is not yet publicly available. The commission is also looking into the separate incident where an American pilot was killed, reportedly after his aircraft was attacked and burned by the TPNPB-OPM in Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan province.