DEKAI, PAPUA PEGUNUNGAN, INDONESIA – JULY 31, 2024 Abdul Muzakir, a 32-year-old truck driver, was killed in an armed attack. Muzakir was transporting a group of 15 other people and was heading to Masi to collect wood when, according to police, their vehicle was ambushed by six armed men. One of them was carrying an SS2-type rifle, while the others were armed with machetes. Muzakir attempted to escape in the vehicle, but the truck broke down and stopped.
Muzakir and his colleague Neri Ommu subsequently fled the vehicle on foot. Ommu managed to escape and later reported the attack, while Muzakir was caught by the attackers. His body was found near the road with extensive cut and stab wounds. Police documented a total of nine injuries, including wounds to his neck, arms, hand, thigh, and abdomen. The attackers also set his truck on fire.
The attack took place in an area that has long been affected by armed conflict between the Indonesian state and Papuan separatist groups. These groups, often referred to by Indonesian authorities as KKB and by the separatists themselves as TPNPB-OPM, are seeking independence for West Papua. Armed clashes, attacks on security forces, and violence against civilians occur in Yahukimo and other parts of Papua. In this particular case, security forces said that gunfire directed at workers building a road had preceded the attack on Muzakir. TPNPB-OPM subsequently presented its own version of events through its spokesperson, claiming that its attack was related to the presence of Indonesian security forces and road construction in the area.
