TRIKORA DISTRICT, PAPUA HIGHLANDS, INDONESIA – SEPTEMBER, 2026 41-year-old driver Aris Sanda, also known as Tasya, was killed on September 15, 2026, while transporting passengers along the road between Wamena and Mbua. His body was discovered the following day by soldiers inside a burned-out vehicle near Lake Habema.
Aftermath photo
At around 6 a.m., an armed group stopped his open-bed vehicle and checked the driver and passengers. The group then ordered the passengers to return to Wamena, while Aris was separated from them and taken in the direction of Lake Habema.
When soldiers searched the area on September 16, 2026, they found the burned vehicle and the body of the murdered driver inside. Security forces began investigating the exact circumstances of his death. According to the Indonesian military, the attack was carried out by militants affiliated with the Free Papua Movement (OPM). Its armed wing subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack, according to media reports, alleging that Aris was a military intelligence operative posing as a driver. Police rejected this accusation, stating that he was a civilian.
The Indonesian part of Papua lies in the western part of the island of New Guinea and has long been affected by an armed conflict between Indonesian security forces and a separatist movement seeking independence. The Free Papua Movement (OPM) and its armed groups carry out attacks on both soldiers and civilians, while the Indonesian military conducts security operations against them. The violence also threatens local residents and workers who travel to the region for employment or provide transportation services. Civilians can therefore find themselves caught between armed groups and state security forces.
READ MORE:
https://papuabloodmoney.com/en/investigasi-aris-sanda
https://en.antaranews.com/amp/news/431581/separatists-behind-murder-of-driver-in-highland-papua-military-says
