Jayapura, Jubi – Five residents near Kali Kabur in Tembagapura were reportedly shot dead, while a toddler was injured. in a shooting incident  Spokesperson for the West Papuan Liberation Army  (TPNPB), Sebby Sambom, said the victims were shot on Thursday (May 7, 2026).

Sambom alleged that the perpetrators were military personnel, stating that security forces had been conducting operations in the area from Thursday night through Friday morning (May 8, 2026).

“During the operation, Indonesian military personnel carried out brutal shootings against civilians living in gold panning camps. Five civilians at the scene died instantly, while a toddler suffered injuries to the lips after being struck by a bullet,” Sambom wrote in a press release issued on Friday.

According to Sambom, the incident forced thousands of civilians to flee to the Kimbeli area and to Timika. As of Friday afternoon, many displaced residents from Kali Kabur were still walking toward Timika through main roads and forest routes.

He added that the Papua Intelligence Service (PIS) had also reported additional casualties and injured victims who had yet to be evacuated because Indonesian military forces were still controlling the area.

“Meanwhile, along the Kali Kabur area, many bodies and victims have not yet been identified. The victims are civilians living in Kali Kabur who work daily as gold panners processing leftover waste from PT Freeport,” he said.

Sambom stated that the TPNPB National Commission condemned the incident, calling it a crime against humanity.

The TPNPB also called on Prabowo Subianto to take responsibility for the shooting victims in Tembagapura and across Tanah Papua more broadly.

“We also call on the International Red Cross to respond to the more than 107,039 displaced residents across Tanah Papua affected by military operations and the armed conflict between the TPNPB and Indonesian security forces,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mimika Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Billyandha Hildiario Budiman confirmed that six residents had reportedly been shot in Tembagapura.

He said the shootings occurred in two separate villages: Narangkea-Uyawin Village and Uyawin-Winni Mile 69 Village in the Kali Kabur area of Tembagapura District, as quoted by Kompas.com.

According to Budiman, the victims were temporarily evacuated to the Brimob Camp David post in Tembagapura.

“There is a one-year-old toddler and a 12-year-old girl who suffered injuries. Our priority is evacuating the victims and local residents first,” Billyandha Hildiario Budiman said. (*)