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Separatists in Indonesia's restive eastbound Papua portion person changeable and killed 8 golden miners they claimed were undercover members of the information forces, the subject said connected Thursday (May 21, 2026).
The miners were attacked portion moving successful the far-flung territory of Yahukimo, Papua Pegunungan province, connected Wednesday (May 20, 2026), subject spokesperson Wirya Arthadiguna said successful a statement.
The victims, helium said, were "civilians panning for golden successful the area".
The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), however, said it had carried retired a palmy "cleansing operation" against "soldiers/police officers disguised arsenic amerciable golden miners".
TPNPB spokesperson Sebby Sambom said the cognition was successful retaliation for the deaths of 2 of its members astatine the hands of the subject successful Yahukimo past week.
Mr. Wirya said the subject has deployed teams to way down the shooters and evacuate the victims' bodies by helicopter.
Security successful the country volition beryllium stepped up, helium added.
Papua, which shares an land with Papua New Guinea, is simply a erstwhile Dutch colony that declared independency successful 1961.
Indonesia took power 2 years later, followed by a 1969 referendum successful which 1,000 Papuans retired of a colonisation of immoderate 800,000 voted successful favour of integration.
Papuan independency activists regularly criticise the ballot and telephone for caller polls, but Jakarta says its sovereignty implicit Papua is supported by the United Nations.
Last year, separatists killed astatine slightest 11 golden miners successful Yahukimo, according to the military, successful different lawsuit successful which the targets were accused of being undercover soldiers.
In 2022, 10 civilians were changeable dormant successful a rebel ambush, and 8 telecoms workers were killed successful different onslaught successful what the guerrillas said was a warfare zone.
Indonesia's National Commission connected Human Rights is investigating the sidesplitting of much than a twelve civilians, including women and children, successful a subject cognition successful the Papuan colony of Kembru successful April.
The subject claimed it had taken retired rebel fighters.
