DEKAI — The Management of the Central Headquarters of the National Command of the West Papua National Liberation Army officially announces national mourning over the falling of two best soldiers of TPNPB Kodap XVI Yahukimo.
The two soldiers, Yoper Payage who is twenty years old and Marten Heluka, twenty-four years old, are declared fallen after being involved in a fierce battle against Indonesian military personnel in the center of Dekai City, Yahukimo Regency, Sunday, May 17, 2026, around 02.00 dawn local time.
The report regarding this situation was delivered directly by the Operations Commander of TPNPB Kodap XVI Yahukimo, Major Kopitua Heluka, accompanied by the Operations Commander of TPNPB Yamue Battalion, Major Dejang Heluka.
The Management of the Central Headquarters of KOMNAS TPNPB conveys the highest respect and deep gratitude to all the big family and biological parents of both deceased, who have willingly given their sons to join the ranks of the military struggle, for the sake of defending the sovereignty of the ancestral land from the grip of colonialism.
For that great service and sacrifice, TPNPB officially declares both deceased as heroes of the Papuan nation who fell in the battlefield.
Responding to the event, TPNPB has launched a massive retaliation attack at the same location in the center of Dekai City. In that counter-attack, TPNPB reported successfully shooting one Indonesian military personnel as a form of direct response to the loss of life of two TPNPB soldiers.
Major Dejang Heluka emphasized that TPNPB will never take a step back or hesitate in the battlefield before full sovereignty is recognized by the government of Indonesia.
The Spokesperson of TPNPB, Sebby Sambom, in a press release, Monday, May 18, 2026, calls for the mobilization of the spirit of struggle to all elements of the nation in the Land of Papua.
TPNPB emphasizes that the situation of colonialism which continues to drag on will only prolong the chain of violence, torture, as well as exploitation of natural resources that is detrimental on the land of Papua.
"We call upon all TPNPB forces in thirty-six Defense Regional Commands throughout the Land of Papua as well as the people of Papua as freedom fighters of the Papuan nation to be obliged to defend the homeland and expel the Indonesian colonialism on the Land of Papua and reclaim the independence of the Papuan nation," emphasized Sebby Sambom. ***