Indonesian forces have killed four West Papuan independence fighters inside the most volatile area of the disputed Indigenous territory in Western New Guinea.
The West Papua National Liberation Army soldiers were reportedly caught up in torrid gunfire after police in the Yahukimo regency raided a Dekai district house which was allegedly utilised as a guerilla hideout.
Yahukimo operations commander, Major Kopitua Heluka, was first to confirm the deaths from the battlefield last week.
The men shot and killed during the joint operation between the Indonesian police and its country's military included Helembo, 21, Eris Hubusa, 18, Alpius 'Moso' Sama, 22, and Ampuluak Yual, 21.
The soldiers who died were all members of the Edensawi battalion's unit, which is associated with the Liberation Army's Kodap regional defence command operating out of the Yahukimo regency among the Papua Highlands.
The longstanding Free Papua Movement declared its own national day of mourning three days after the deaths.
Their burials were held the day before the mourning on Friday.
West Papua National Liberation Army spokesperson, Sebby Sambom, said the movement extended its gratitude and condolences to the families for the sacrifices of the slain men.
Mr Sambom also asked all parties, including the Indonesians involved, to respect the mourning process.
There was no reports of any trouble or violent outbreaks.
"We officially announce national mourning to all West Papua National Liberation Army forces across the 36 Kodap commands in Tanah ('Land of') Papua and to the Papuan independence fighters, wherever they are, following the deaths of four Kodap Yahukimo members," Mr Sambom said.
The gunfight between the outnumbered West Papua National Liberation Army members and Indonesian forces, which reported no deaths in the clash, occurred under the state's operations of the Damai Cartenz-2026 taskforce.
According to Indonesian police, the raid was linked to alleged criminal offences committed by a number of people associated with the group over a number of years.
Those individuals had reportedly been on Indonesia police's wanted list and was not necessarily related to the West Papuan independence movement.
"The operation was part of law enforcement efforts against individuals suspected of being involved in a number of criminal offences in the Yahukimo region," Commissioner Yusuf Sutejo, head of public relations for the Damai Cartenz-2026 operation, said in a statement.
There have been at least 16 reported West Papua National Liberation Army deaths at the hands of Indonesian forces — amid a further 26 West Papuan civilians killed by security forces — during separate clashes or counter-insurgency operations, according to figures from Asia Pacific Solidarity Network monitors.
