Jakarta, May 15 -- The Indonesian military (TNI) said on Thursday that its patrol had shot and killed 18 suspected armed separatists in the country's Intan Jaya regency of Central Papua province.
In a statement, TNI's spokesman Kristomei Sianturi said that gunfire took place on Wednesday morning in the villages of Titigi, Ndugusiga, Jaindapa, Sugapa Lama, and Zanamba between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. local time.
According to him, the patrol initially aimed at providing healthcare and education services to residents in those villages, but then encountered some armed separatists.
"This operation was carried out in a measured, professional manner, and prioritized the safety of civilians. We will not let the Papuan people live in fear in their hom...