PAPUA - Security conditions in Yahukimo Regency have intensified during the visit of the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Gibran Rakabuming Raka. The Central Headquarters Management of the National Command of the West Papua National Liberation Army (KOMNAS TPNPB) reported a shooting incident carried out by the Indonesian military against a civilian in Dekai on Tuesday night, April 21, 2026.
​The victim, identified as Jems Maxisme Yohame, is a Civil Servant (ASN). According to reports received from TPNPB intelligence in the Yahukimo region, Jems was shot by personnel from a military post located at the intersection near Dekai Airport. Following the incident, the victim is reported to be in critical condition and was rushed by local residents to the Dekai City General Hospital to receive emergency medical treatment.
​TPNPB OPM Spokesperson, Sebby Sambom, emphasized that this shooting occurred amidst a massive Indonesian military operation targeting civilian settlements throughout Yahukimo, which has been ongoing since Monday, April 20. He stated that military personnel have been conducting forced searches of civilian homes and seizing gardening tools belonging to the local community. According to Sebby, these repressive actions culminated in the shooting of Jems on the same night Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka had been present in the region since the afternoon.
​Furthermore, the Central Headquarters of KOMNAS TPNPB revealed that military operations throughout April 2026 have created a profound humanitarian crisis in several areas, including Puncak, Yahukimo, and Puncak Jaya Regencies. Dozens of civilians have reportedly fallen victim, with scores killed by bomb explosions and direct gunfire. Additionally, many citizens have been arrested and tortured, while thousands of others have been forced to flee their villages to escape the conflict zones.
​Sebby Sambom explained that in the third week of April alone, 15 deaths and 7 injuries were recorded in Dogiyai and Puncak Regencies. He added that 7 civilians were arrested and tortured within Indonesian military posts, while data on displaced persons from five villages in the Kemburu District remains difficult to collect due to the Indonesian military's restricted access to the area.
​In response to the escalating violence, the TPNPB has urged local, national, and international human rights organizations to intervene immediately. TPNPB are demanding the provision of neutral humanitarian aid to all affected civilians, particularly for the 107,039 West Papuans currently displaced across various regions due to the ongoing armed conflict between the TPNPB and the Indonesian military. ***