THE National Police has sent a company of Mobile Brigade (Brimob) strike force troops to the restive Papua regency of Puncak Jaya following an attack that killed a member of the elite unit on Monday.
National Police chief Gen, Bambang Hendarso Danuri said Tuesday the reinforcement troops would help the police in Puncak Jaya hunt down the gunmen who shot and killed Brig. Agus during an ambush in Yambi district.
"The perpetrators [of the attack] were a group of armed people. We are still giving chase," Bambang said as quoted by kompas.com.
He added that he had ordered Papua Police to step up security measures due to the rampant attacks on police and military personnel in the Papua highlands of Puncak Jaya. "We hope the armed group commits no more hit-and-run attacks," he said.
Agus, a Brimob officer from Bogor who was on loan to the Papua Police, was shot during a routine patrol at 3:20 p.m. local time Monday. A bullet pierced his jaw. He died en route to hospital in the regency capital of Mulia.
On May 22, gunmen ambushed a group of patrolling police and military personnel in Yambi district, injuring three of them.