Police in Indonesia's restive Papua province are searching for a man who shot a motorcycle driver in the neck on Thursday in Tigi Timur, in the district of Paniai.
"We are still looking into the identity of the perpetrator. The shooter was a passenger of the motorcycle taxi and the name of the victim is Bahar, 28, who was shot in the neck," said Sr. Com. Agus Rianto, the head of the National Police general information department, on Friday.
Bahar was left injured after the bullet went through his cheek and is currently being treated in a hospital in Paniai.
Agus said that according to preliminary investigations, a man demanded Bahar take him to Enarotali for Rp 50,000 ($5.15), claiming that he wanted to buy motorcycle parts.
However, halfway along the trip, the passenger shot the driver from behind using a hand gun.
The perpetrator then ran into the forest while a passing truck driver took the victim to hospital.
"The motive is yet unclear because the motorcycle of the victim was not even taken," Agus said.
Paniai is known as one of the strongholds of armed separatist groups in Papua.