Text 3 Eight police firearms seized by armed Papuan group

#Eight firearms belonging to police officers on duty at Kulirik Police post in Mulia district, Puncak Jaya regency, Papua, were seized by a group of armed civilians at around 4 p.m. local time on Saturday. #Papua Police spokesperson Sr.Comr. Pudjo Sulistio said an armed civilian group consisting of 20 people attacked the Kulirik Police post in Mulia, Puncak Jaya, on Saturday. He said that there were only two police personnel on guard at the post when the incident occurred. #“A violent struggle over the firearms took place but because the two police officers were outnumbered, they ran away and reported the incident to the Puncak Jaya Police precinct in Mulia,” Pudjo told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. Together, with several Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel, the police’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) members pursued the armed group who ran to the mountainous area. No fatalities were reported in the incident. #Separately, Puncak Jaya Police precinct chief Adj.Sr.Comr. Marselis said the carelessness of the police officers could not be ignored. Eight police personnel had been deployed to the Kulirik post. There should have be seven officers at the post as one police personnel had to leave for Jayapura because his mother had passed away. #“But during the incident, there were only two officers while the remainder left the post for unclear reasons,” said Marselis, adding that the attack was allegedly perpetrated by Goliat Tabuni’s men, popularly known as the Yambi group. #He said the police were working with local leaders to persuade the group’s members to return the firearms.

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