The Dabi Airplane was shot by Free West Papua armed group at Bilogai Sugapa Airport, Papua

Airplane was shot in Papua

Jayapura (ANTARA) – Head of Public Relations of the Papua Police, Kombes Ahmad Kamal, admitted that the Dabi Air plane with flight number PK-DPG was shot by an armed criminal group (KKB) at Bilogai Airport, Sugapa, Intan Jaya Regency.

“It is true that there were reports of shooting at Dabi Air’s plane but not on the fuselage,” Kamal said in Jayapura, Friday.

The incident was reported to have occurred at around 08.38 WIT, two shots were heard against the Dabi Air PK-DPG aircraft, which at that time flew from an estimated height from the end of Bilorai Airport with a distance of approximately 300 meters from the runway.

“Immediately after landing it was confirmed that no bullets had hit the fuselage,” said Kamal.

He admitted that from the reports received shortly after the Dabi Air plane arrived, the plane belonging to Rimbun Air with flight number PK OTJ arrived at Bilogai Airport carrying Serka Sahlan’s body to Nabire.

After it was confirmed that no bullets had hit the fuselage, the Dabi Air plane with pilot Rofliudin and co pilot Obet Obaidilah flew back to Timika.

Previous cases of shooting and mistreatment of civilians and security forces were the shooting of two motorcycle taxi drivers that occurred on Sunday (14/9), said Kombes Kamal.

He added that the joint military / police apparatus were still pursuing the perpetrators of the shootings and it was not yet certain which group carried out the shooting.

“TNI-Polri personnel are still carrying out security around Sugapa to anticipate any disruption of social security,” explained Kombes Kamal.

Airplane was shot in Papua

Notes:

A former Dutch colony, West Papua was formally incorporated into Indonesia in 1969, after an undisputed vote of about 1,025 representative tribal leaders. The result of the plebiscite was overseen and endorsed by the United Nations.

Since the democratization in 1998, especially since 2007, democracy by mean of elections has been introduced to increase political participation in the two provinces. The fact that the leaders of Papua and West Papua provinces are democratically elected by the people has strengthened the legality of the region as a province of Indonesia.