“TNI Commander Upgrades Papua to Combat Alert After Loss of Life”

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – TNI Commander Admiral Yudo Margono stated that Papua’s status had been upgraded to combat alert. This increase in status was carried out after the loss of life on the part of the TNI in the operation to free the Susi Air pilot, Captain Philip Max Mehrtens.

“Under these conditions, especially in certain areas, we will change it to a combat alert operation,” said Yudo at the Timika Airfield, Papua, Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

Yudo said status determination combat alert this is similar to that implemented in the Natuna sea area. In Natuna, he said, the TNI has implemented a sea combat alert status. Meanwhile in Papua, a ground combat alert status has been implemented.

Combat Alert to increase the instincts of soldiers in Papua

According to him, this status increase was made to activate the combat instincts of TNI soldiers. “We are increasing combat alert, so that combat instincts are awakened,” he said.

According to Yudo, initially TNI applying a soft approach in Papua as well as in efforts to free Philip. The soft approach, he said, was carried out by establishing communication with residents and territorial operations.

However, the attack by the Free Papua Organization’s West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM) against the task force of the Raider Infantry Battalion 321/Galuh Taruna made that approach change.

The attack on the task force took place in Mugi-Mam District, Nduga, Papua on Saturday, April 15, 2023. According to Yudo, the soldiers were on patrol in the Mugi-Mam District because they received information about Philip’s whereabouts in the area. He said the task force initially wanted to communicate with the KKB and hoped that Philip would be released without violence.

“Our hope was like that, but it turned out that we had not gotten there and had been intercepted and fired upon like that,” he said.

Even though his status was upgraded, the former Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy said there would be no additional troops or altusistas in Papua.

“The existing team is a rotation team from the existing team,” he said.

According to Yudo, the defense equipment stationed in Papua is also not used for fighting. He gave an example that helicopters in Papua are only used for the purpose of transporting and evacuating troops.

Furthermore, the number of victims due to the TPNPB-OPM attack