Two civilians shot at Papua festival site

Two civilians sustained injuries after being shot while en route to the Baliem Valley Cultural Festival in Papua, Indonesia. The victims, identified by initials LMO (43) and S (50), were traveling in a Mitsubishi Triton vehicle when shots were fired from the side.

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Shots fired from the side of the vehicle caused injuries to both individuals.

Senior Commissioner Yusuf Sutejo, Head of the Public Relations Task Force for Operation Damai Cartenz-2026, confirmed the incident occurred on Saturday, August 8, 2026. Joint military and police personnel quickly evacuated the victims to Wamena Regional General Hospital. Both individuals remained conscious and are receiving medical treatment.

Investigators processed the crime scene and discovered three bullet holes in the victims' vehicle. They also recovered four projectile fragments and eight 5.56mm shell casings from the vicinity. Police are currently investigating the possibility that an armed criminal group, specifically the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM) led by Egianus Kogoya, was responsible.

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Therefore, the event had to be broken up by any means necessary.

Sebby Sambom, a spokesperson for the TPNPB-OPM, claimed responsibility for the attack. He stated that the festival, held as part of Indonesia's Independence Day celebrations, "had to be broken up by any means necessary." Police are continuing their investigation, cross-referencing evidence with witness and victim statements to identify those responsible and their roles.

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We are continuing our investigation to confirm the identities, roles, and involvement of the suspected parties.