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Indonesian authorities on Thursday said separatist fighters in the restive Papua region killed eight gold miners after accusing them of being undercover security personnel.
The attack occurred on Wednesday in the Yahukimo district of Papua Pegunungan, according to a statement by the military spokesperson Wirya Arthadiguna.
He said the victims were civilians engaged in gold mining activities in the area.
However, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) claimed responsibility for the killings, describing the operation as a successful action against soldiers and police officers allegedly posing as illegal miners.
TPNPB spokesperson Sebby Sambom said the attack was carried out in retaliation for the killing of two separatist members by Indonesian troops in Yahukimo last week.
The military said security personnel had been deployed to pursue the attackers and evacuate the bodies of the victims by helicopter, adding that security operations in the area would be intensified.
Papua, a former Dutch colony that shares an island with Papua New Guinea, has experienced decades of separatist unrest since Indonesia took control of the territory in the 1960s.
Independence groups have long rejected the 1969 referendum that integrated the region into Indonesia, while Jakarta maintains that its sovereignty over Papua is internationally recognised.
The latest incident follows several deadly attacks in recent years. Last year, separatists reportedly killed at least 11 gold miners in Yahukimo after accusing them of being undercover soldiers.
In 2022, rebels were also blamed for separate attacks that left 10 civilians and eight telecommunications workers dead.
