By Papua Movement Editor
Indonesia’s military says it has recovered a Caracal assault rifle that pro-independence fighters seized in Maybrat regency, Southwest Papua, earlier this year. Papua Movement reviewed the official statement, which the Habema Joint Operations Command (Koops TNI Habema) released on 16 October 2026.
According to the statement, a joint team found the rifle together with 17 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition. The military says fighters from the Free Papua Movement (OPM) Sorong Raya regional command took the weapon on 22 March. At that time, they attacked a marine task force in the Sory area.
How the military says it found the rifle
Three units took part in the operation, according to the military. They included a mobile border task force from the 9th Marine Infantry Battalion, a team from Kostrad’s 411th Infantry Battalion and a territorial task force from the 764th Infantry Battalion.
The military says the search followed the capture of Zakarias Fatem. It describes him as the deputy commander of the OPM’s Sorong Raya command. In addition, the statement says two other men, Anton Fatem and Yesias Fatem, later surrendered. According to the military, both had earlier escaped a raid near the Kamundan River.
After that, the military says, information from the men led the team to the hidden rifle. However, the statement does not explain how the military questioned the men. It also does not say whether they have lawyers.
Brigadier General Riyanto, the commander of Koops TNI Habema, praised the units involved. “This success shows the importance of synergy between units, accuracy of information and the professionalism of soldiers,” he said. He also said security measures must remain “selective, measured, professional and in accordance with the law.”
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Claims Papua Movement could not verify
Papua Movement could not independently verify the military’s account. Moreover, the statement does not include comment from the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the OPM’s armed wing. It also does not include comment from the men’s families.
Access remains part of the problem. Press freedom groups say Indonesia restricts foreign journalists from reporting freely in Papua. As a result, independent checks on claims from either side remain difficult.
Search for a second weapon continues
The military says it is still searching for a second weapon, a Daewoo K3 light machine gun. According to the statement, the gun remains hidden somewhere in Maybrat. Koops TNI Habema says it will release further updates once it verifies new information.
Papua has seen a low-level armed conflict since Indonesia took control of the region in the 1960s. Over the years, both attacks by armed groups and military operations have killed civilians and forced villagers to flee their homes. Under international humanitarian law, all parties to a conflict must protect non-combatants.
Source: Papua Movement based this report on an official statement from the Information Office of Koops TNI Habema (16 October 2026).
