TIMIKA – Security conditions in the Tembagapura region, Papua, are reported to be heating up following a military operation taking place along the Kali Kabur area from Thursday night until Friday morning.

​The operation targeting civilian settlement areas and gold panning camps resulted in the fall of casualties and triggered a massive exodus of local residents towards areas considered safer.

​Based on the Human Rights Defender (HRD) report, the operation which took place intensively since the night of May 7, 2026, was colored by shooting actions in the panning camp area.

​This tragic incident reportedly claimed the lives of five civilians who died instantly at the scene. In addition to the fatalities, a toddler was also reported to have suffered serious injuries to the face due to being hit by a bullet projectile in the series of events.

​The violence that occurred on the ground triggered extraordinary panic among the residents. Until Friday afternoon, thousands of residents were reported leaving their homes in the Kali Kabur region to evacuate towards Kimbeli and central Timika City.

​Many of the evacuees were forced to travel long distances on foot through public routes and through forests to avoid the conflict zone which is still controlled by the military.

​A Human Rights Defender representative in their report emphasized that the situation at the location is still very critical and complicates the evacuation process as well as comprehensive victim data collection.

​"There are still injured or deceased victims who until now cannot be evacuated from the scene because of the presence of the military who are still standing guard strictly in the region," explained the HRD side.

​Due to limited access, the exact number of injured victims or material losses along the Kali Kabur watershed until now is still in the process of further monitoring. ***