Three Officers Killed, Rifles Stolen in Attack on Papua Police Precinct
Jakarta. Three police officers in the restive province of Papua were killed by suspected separatists on Sunday evening after armed men attacked their precinct, the National Police confirmed.
National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti said the Sinak subdistrict precinct in Papua's Puncak district was attacked by a barrage of gunfire at 8.45 p.m. on Sunday.
Three police officers manning the station were killed in the incident and another officer wounded, the four-star general continued.
"The shots came from the back of the police precinct," Badrodin said at his office on Monday.
Several assailants then broke in to the headquarters' armory, stealing seven assault riffles and a crate of ammunition.
They fled after dozens of soldiers from a nearby military station arrived as back-up.
Badrodin identified the killed officers as First Brig. Ridho, Second Brig. Arman and Second Brig. Ilham. The fourth officer, First Brig. Dimara was shot in the arm and is now being treated for his injury.
"We are conducting an investigation [to identify the assailants]," the general said, adding that communication with the remote precinct is difficult.
The attack came ahead of President Joko Widodo's visit to Papua, which has seen low level insurgency against Indonesian security officials since Indonesia annexed the resource-rich province in the 1960s.
Joko is scheduled to travel to Merauke – on the province's border with Papua New Guinea – on Tuesday and Wamena in the central highland area on Wednesday, before traveling to neighboring West Papua province.
As of Monday morning there has not been any changes to the president's planned visit, said Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Patrige Renwarin.