The Papuan Separatist and Terrorist (KST) group shot at the Wings Air plane when it landed in Dekai. This action indicates that the barbarism they are carrying out continues.
The Wings Air plane was reportedly shot at by a group of Bumi Cenderawasih separatists on Saturday 17 February 2024. The shooting occurred when the plane was about to land at Nop Goliat Dekai Airport, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Mountains.Yahukimo Resort Police Chief (Kapolres), Adjunct Police Commissioner (AKBP) Heru Hidayanto confirmed the crash of the Wings Air plane with flight number PK-WJT.Then, the Head of Public Relations (Kabid Humas) of the Papua Regional Police (Polda), Police Commissioner (Kombes Pol) Ignatius Benny Ady Prabowo said that the ATR 700 type aircraft was shot at as it was preparing to land from Runway 25 towards the end of the Brasa River.As reported, the plane was hit by fire from KST Papua on the left side, penetrating the fuselage. Security forces confirmed that there were absolutely no casualties in the incident, however one passenger, Pratu Ongen, suffered abrasions due to being hit by a fragment of the plane’s wall.For now, security forces from the Cartenz 2024 Peace Operation together with Yon D Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel and Yahukimo Police continue to carry out the investigation process into the shooting action carried out by KST Papua, including also conducting searches of the area in the Kali Brasa area at the end of the airport, which which is thought to be the location where the shooter was located.The crime scene investigation (TKP) has also been carried out by security forces and the process of requesting information from the flight crew has also been carried out. To follow up on the barbaric actions of the terrorist gang, the security forces also continue to coordinate with other related parties and pursue the perpetrators of the shooting.For now, no additional troops have been sent to Bumi Cenderawasih because the number of security personnel there is sufficient to carry out the pursuit and investigation of this case to completion.The case of the KST Papua shooting on the Wings Air plane immediately became a special concern and efforts were immediately made to identify the perpetrators by the security forces. In order to continue to maintain security in the aviation sector, especially in Bumi Cenderawasih, the authorities will also reveal all the motives of the perpetrators.Furthermore, an appeal was conveyed to the entire community, especially indigenous Papuans (OAP) to remain calm and not be easily provoked by various issues that arise, thereby causing further panic in the public.It is also hoped that all elements of society will continue to be able to maintain the situation and conditions in their area so that it continues peacefully while the investigation process is carried out by the security forces in order to uncover and thoroughly investigate the case.Meanwhile, the Head of the Papua Regional Police (Kapolda), Inspector General of Police (Irjen Pol) Mathius Fakhiri said that security personnel from the joint Indonesian National Army (TNI) together with the Indonesian National Police (Polri) were pursuing Separatist and Terrorist Groups. (KST) Papua was the perpetrator of the shooting down of the Wings Air plane.The incident itself started when a gunshot was heard which apparently hit the left side of the plane’s fuselage, resulting in injuries to a passenger sitting in seat number 19 A.Head of Operations (Kaops) Damai Cartenz Police Commissioner (Kombes Pol) Faizal Ramadhani revealed that the motive for the shooting carried out by KST Papua on the Wings Air plane was not at all related to the implementation of the 2024 General Election (Pemilu).However, according to him, the motive for the plane shooting incident was purely an attempt to disrupt things, as has always been carried out by the separatist gang, where they often carry out barbaric acts.The shot that was fired by himself was an unaided shot because KST Papua members as shooters fired quite a lot of shots and it turned out that only one bullet hit the fuselage of the plane.Not only did they shoot down the Wings Air plane, but apparently previously KST Papua also continued to intensify their barbaric actions by shooting down planes belonging to the Asean Air airline at Beoga airport, Puncak Regency, Central Papua.The incident was more or less the same, namely that the Asean Aie plane with flight code PK-LTF was shot when it was about to land at Beoga airfield, but fortunately the shooting did not cause any casualties at all.With the barbarity that KST Papua continues to carry out recently, namely that there have been two plane shootings and the most recent one happened to Wings Air when it landed in Dekai, of course all parties must be able to continue to provide full support to the efforts of the security forces so that the perpetrators are quickly found and will be dealt with very strictly by law.