Eight gold miners have been killed following an armed attack by separatists in the eastern highland province of Papua, Indonesia.
The Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the Jakarta Globe, citing an official military statement, provided details on the incident. The attack was reportedly carried out by members of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), who accused the civilians of acting as informants for Indonesian law enforcement agencies.
A military spokesperson clarified that the victims were not security personnel as claimed by the separatists, but were instead civilians engaged in gold mining. Following the attack, the separatist group fled the area. In response, the Indonesian military has deployed additional units and helicopters to the region to conduct search operations and intensify patrols. Authorities are currently working to evacuate the bodies of the deceased from the scene.
The Free Papua Movement later released a video message claiming responsibility for the killings and reiterating their accusations of espionage against the miners. This incident is part of a long-standing conflict in the region, which dates back to 1969 when Indonesia took control of West New Guinea. The territory was later divided into the provinces of Papua and West Papua. Tensions in the region reached a peak in 2019 with widespread protests and riots demanding independence, and violent clashes between separatist groups and the military continue to persist in the remote, mountainous areas of Papua.
