Yahukimo — The escalation of armed conflict in the Highland Papua region is heating up again after the TPNPB forces of the XVI Yahukimo Defense Regional Command (Kodap) reportedly conducted an attack operation in the Korowai area.

​In the operation that lasted for four days, TPNPB reportedly shot dead eight members of Indonesian forces who were strongly suspected of disguised as illegal gold miners in the mining area.

​This action was declared as a form of direct resistance and retaliation for the death of two TPNPB members who were shot by the Indonesian military in the Yahukimo region last week.

​The Operations Commander of TPNPB Kodap XVI Yahukimo, Major Kopitua Heluka, reported that the clearing operation was carried out in a planned manner from May 17, 2026, to May 20, 2026.

​In its execution, Major Kopitua Heluka moved together with TPNPB forces from the Yamue Battalion under the command of Kumis Passe as the Battalion Operations Commander, and accompanied by Major Dejang Heluka.

​This armed movement specifically targeted the Indonesian military, who were considered to have infiltrated the Yahukimo customary territory under the guise of illegal mining activities.

​The Management of the Central Headquarters of the TPNPB National Command (Komnas) has received an official report regarding the course of the operation on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

​Through his written message, Major Kopitua Heluka emphasized that all personnel from the Yamue Battalion under the leadership of Major Dejang Heluka declared full responsibility for the operation claimed as the retaliatory action.

​After executing the eight disguised personnel, TPNPB declared they would not retreat from the defense location and would maintain a status of alert one in the conflict area.

​"We will not go anywhere, but we are still on alert one until the corpses we placed for this Prabowo are fetched," emphasized Major Dejang Heluka.

​TPNPB also stated that they would not stop this armed confrontation in the near future because they consider the actions of the Indonesian military against TPNPB personnel to have passed the limit of tolerance.

​Major Kopitua Heluka also ensured that the target of TPNPB operations would be expanded to non-Papuan elements indicated to have affiliations with intelligence networks or TNI forces.

​"The Indonesian security forces touched my forces, so I will not let pass those with white skin, straight hair, and that tan skin. We swear that we will operate until Papua is free. Moreover, they shot my forces, so I will avenge it from the tip of the hair to the tip of the nail," said Major Kopitua Heluka.

​Meanwhile, the Spokesperson of the National Command of the West Papua National Liberation Army - Free Papua Organization (Komnas TPNPB-OPM), Sebby Sambom, emphasized that TPNPB demands the withdrawal of all Indonesian military forces from natural resource exploitation areas in Papua, in order to avoid greater loss of life in the future. ***