Jakarta, Oct 17: Indonesia’s military claimed Thursday it had retaken Soanggama village in Papua’s Intan Jaya district after a six-hour battle with separatist insurgents, leaving 14 rebels dead. Military spokesman Lt. Col. Iwan Dwi Prihartono said rebels armed with guns and bows attacked troops as they prepared to assault a rebel post. No government casualties were reported, and weapons, communication gear, and a separatist “morning star” flag were seized.The West Papua Liberation Army, however, disputed the military’s account. Spokesman Sebby Sambom said only three of the dead were rebels, and nine were civilians killed by soldiers, including eight in a house the army mistakenly identified as a rebel base. He denied the existence of any rebel base in the village, insisting the group adheres to rules of war and avoids residential areas.
The region has seen a surge in violence in recent years. In April, the rebels killed 17 people at a gold mining site, claiming they were undercover soldiers—a claim denied by authorities. Papua has faced a decades-long insurgency since Indonesia annexed the former Dutch colony in the 1960s.