PAPUA - The armed conflict in Intan Jaya Regency, Papua, has again claimed civilian casualties after two teenagers were reported injured by gunfire. The incident occurred in Titigi Village, Sugapa District, amid a ground operation launched by the Indonesian military.

​The Central Headquarters Management of the National Command of the West Papua National Liberation Army (KOMNAS TPNPB) confirmed it has received reports of the injured victims from the center of Sugapa Town. The shooting incident was reported to have taken place at around 12:00 WIT.

​The two victims, identified as Daud Hagismijau and Kiko Hagismijau, both under 18 years old, sustained gunshot wounds to the legs and back thighs. The shooting occurred when the two teenagers along with other civilians were working together to build the Saint Francis Xavier Titigi Catholic Church.

​As a result of the gunshot wounds suffered, the two victims cannot walk and are currently reported to still be stranded in Titigi Village. Post-incident, the Indonesian military immediately secured and controlled the main route connecting the center of Sugapa Town, Titigi Village, up to the access toward Puncak Regency.

​The control of this transportation route was referred to as an effort to block waves of refugees from villages in Agisiga, Hitadipa, and Sugapa Districts. This mass evacuation was triggered by residents' anxiety over the escalation of the ground operation and alleged aerial bomb attacks targeting civilian settlements in the three districts.

​In addition to the deployment of ground forces since 26 to 29 June 2026, the operation in Intan Jaya is also said to involve aerial attacks using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). The impact of this series of Indonesian military operations caused a number of public facilities and civilian houses to burn to the ground.

​The situation forced civilians from the three districts to carry out large-scale evacuations to save themselves, both to the surrounding forest areas and toward the center of Sugapa Town. The TPNPB strongly condemns the execution of the ground operation and aerial attacks that have damaged the place of worship and public facilities.

​"The shooting of two teenagers under the age of 18 while constructing the Saint Francis Xavier Titigi Catholic Church is a form of crime against humanity," said Sebby Sambom, Monday (29/6/2026).

​Meanwhile, the TPNPB assesses the intensity of the operation and the use of heavy weapons by the Indonesian military throughout 26 to 29 June 2026 as a form of war crime. This lingering conflict is said to require intervention and serious attention from the international community.

​The TPNPB even notes that currently there are more than 122,931 civilians scattered across various regions of Papua Land forced to evacuate due to the armed conflict. This humanitarian crisis is assessed to be worsening because it has not received serious attention from the United Nations (UN) or the International Red Cross.

​Sebby also urges the UN to immediately grant a mandate to the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council to send an independent investigation team to monitor the humanitarian situation in Papua Land directly. (One Papua)