Battle of Mugi (2019)

The Indonesian government under the presidency of Joko Widodo used development of civilian infrastructure, particularly the construction of roads, as a method to curb the influence of the Free Papua Organisation (OPM) and its military wing, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB). This was especially true in Nduga Regency, Papua province (now part of Highland Papua province), a remote and isolated mountainous regency sitting within the New Guinea Highlands.

A major project was the construction of the Trans-Papua Highway, which started in 1980 but picked up pace during Joko Widodo's presidency.^[1] In 2018, the TPNPB perpetrated a massacre against construction workers in Nduga, which further intensified military presence in the area after a brief pause in road construction. By late 2018, the Indonesian security apparatus had deployed 1,000 personnel in the Nduga area, partly in order to protect road construction.^[1][2]

At 8 a.m. on 7 March 2019, a TPNPB unit of 50-70 militants under the command of Egianus Kogoya (which called themselves as the 3rd Regional Defence Commando Ndugama) engaged a small 'law enforcement task force' (Satgas Gakkum) of 25 Indonesian military personnel in Mugi District, Nduga Regency. The task force had just been deployed in the area to cover the rotation of personnel securing the construction of the Trans-Papua Highway.^[3] Attacking from the highlands, the TPNPB force used both "military grade weapons" and traditional weapons such as bows and arrows and spears.^[3]

Indonesian security personnel conducted a fierce resistance against the TPNPB attack and managed to repel the attack, causing the TPNPB unit to retreat from the battlefield. In the engagement, three TNI soldiers were killed: Second Sergeant Mirwariyadin, Second Sergeant Yusdin, and Second Sergeant Siswanto Bayu Aji.^[4] The Indonesian armed forces further claimed that 7-10 TPNPB militants were killed in the engagement, but their bodies, save for one, were recovered by the rebel group.^[5] Five firearms belonging to the TPNPB were captured by the TNI.^[4]

TPNPB spokesperson Sebby Sambom claimed that TPNPB militants had killed five Indonesian military personnel and suffered no losses, in addition to four firearms captured from the TNI. This claim was refuted by the TNI, owing to the improbability of TPNPB fighters approaching TNI positions in lower altitudes to capture TNI firearms.^[5]

At 3 p.m., TNI casualties were evacuated by Bell 412 helicopters to Timika. During the evacuation process, the helicopters were shot at by TPNPB militants without incurring any additional casualties to the TNI.^[3]