YAHUKIMO, HIGHLAND PAPUA, INDONESIA – FEBRUARY 2, 2026 41-year-old Daniel Datti was killed in an attack by an armed group at the YPK Yakpesmi high school compound in Yahukimo Regency. Datti, who was from South Sulawesi, was working on the school grounds making school desks and chairs.
According to witnesses, three armed men approached the compound and began shooting at Datti. The man attempted to escape into the teachers’ room, but the attackers followed him inside and assaulted him. According to police, he suffered severe injuries to his head, back, and both knees, to which he succumbed at the scene. The attackers subsequently damaged some of the school’s equipment and fled into the forest.
Indonesian security forces attribute the attack to members of KKB (Kelompok Kriminal Bersenjata), a term used by Indonesian authorities for armed groups involved in the insurgency in Papua. However, it is unclear which specific faction was behind the attack, and the motive for killing the civilian worker was not immediately clarified.
The incident is part of the long-running conflict between the Indonesian state and part of the Papuan separatist movement. Armed groups, which often refer to themselves as TPNPB-OPM, are fighting for the independence of West Papua and have carried out attacks in recent years against soldiers, police officers, and civilians. Several attacks occurred in Yahukimo and surrounding areas in 2025, killing civilians, mining workers, and members of the security forces.
