Hunt Begins for Papua Gunmen Who Strafed Plane

Hunt Begins for Papua Gunmen Who Strafed Plane

Banjir Ambarita | April 09, 2012

Jayapura. Police and soldiers of the Indonesian Armed Forces are combing the hills in Mulia, Papua, after gunmen sprayed an incoming commercial flight with bullets, killing one passenger and wounding four people on Sunday.

“Joint personnel from the police and Armed Forces [TNI] are going after the perpetrators, who ran into the mountains around the airport,” Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Yohanes said.

The search team included members of the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) paramilitary police unit from the Puncak Jaya district police as well as soldiers from Batallion 7534 AVT based in Nabire.

Yohanes said a group of at least five men fired on a Trigana Air Twin Otter that had flown from Nabire and was about to land at the airport in Mulia town in Puncak Jaya district at around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.

“The pilot panicked and could not control the airplane so that it veered off the runway and hit a building,” Johanes said, adding that the plane struck a warehouse.

He said one person died in the incident while four others, including the pilot of the flight, Captain Beby Astek, were wounded during the crash.

The sole fatality was Leiron Kogoya, a journalist working for Papua Pos, who was shot in the neck.

“Leiron Kogoya was our journalist who had worked in Puncak Jaya. He had been assigned there for a year,” said Angel Berta Sinaga, the chief editor of the Papua Pos.

Angel also said that Leiron was a native of Puncak Jaya and added that his family had already claimed the body.

Yohanes said that other injuries were sustained by co-pilot Willy Resumun, a 4-year-old boy and the boy’s mother.

The spokesman also said police were combing the airport for clues and evidence, adding that the airport was not closed since it did not have that many flights to begin with.

“The airplane’s fuel tank was hit by a bullet but did not explode,” said a Trigana Air employee who refused to be identified.

The wounded pilot and co-pilot were flown to Jayapura with the help of another Trigana Air Twin Otter plane, said Bustomi, who heads the Jayapura office of the airline.

They were transported to the Dian Harapan Waena hospital, he said, adding that the wounds did not appear to be too serious.

“We are temporarily halting all flights to and from Mulia, and we will wait for the situation to become more conducive to everyone’s safety,” Bustomi said.

He also called for better security at the airport, especially since the town was dependent on flights for needed supplies.

The airport has experienced several recent shootings, the last one injuring the local police chief in October.

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http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/04/08/authorities-yet-evacuate-trigana-air-passengers.html

2) Authorities yet to evacuate Trigana Air passengers

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 04/08/2012 2:15 PM

A | A | A |

Authorities have been unable to evacuate passengers who had been on board a Trigana Air plane attacked by an armed gang due to an ongoing gun battle between the gang and airport security officers.

Early on Sunday morning, a group of unidentified armed men attacked a Trigana Air Twin Otter TPK-YRF at Mulia Airport in the Puncak Jaya regency.

"The pilot and the passengers have been taken off the aircraft, but we have been unable to evacuate them," Mimika Air Transportation Agency chief John Rettob said, as reported by tempo.co.

John added that a supporting plane from Mimika regency had been sent to Wamena, Papua.

"All evacuation procedures will be done from Wamena. If the situation allows it, we will go to Mulia," John said.

A local Papua journalist, Letogo Kogoya, 35, was killed in the attack; he was shot in the neck.

Bebi Astek, 40, the pilot, suffered a broken leg after the plane crashed into a warehouse at the edge of the airport. Bullet fragments also injured his ear. The co-pilot, Willy Resubun, 30, was also hurt by bullet fragments to his right hand.

Among the injured passengers was Yanti, 30, a housewife who was hit in her right arm. Another victim was Pako Korwa, 4, who received hand injuries.

"One was killed. Several were injured. The pilot suffered a broken leg," John said.

Papua Police spokesman, Sr. Comr. Johanes Nugroho, said that the plane was attacked after it had landed at Mulia Airport.

"Unidentified individuals attacked the Trigana airplane at 8:21 a.m., Papua time, on Sunday," Johanes said.

Because of the attacks, the pilot and co-pilot lost control of the aircraft, causing the plane to crash into the warehouse.

Johanes said that a joint army-police security force was still trying to secure the area around the airport. They are also pursuing the attackers.

"As of right now, the Army and The National Police are still pursuing the attackers," Johanes said. (png/swd)
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