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Indonesian security forces have initiated a coordinated operation to apprehend members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) accused of murdering five road construction workers in Papua's Highland province. The conflict between Papuan independence advocates and Indonesian forces has led to mass displacement of villagers in Highland Papua and surrounding regions.

According to the TPNPB, the five Indonesian workers were killed at their camp in Tolikara Regency, claiming the victims were Indonesian intelligence agents masquerading as construction workers. Indonesian authorities, however, blame an armed criminal group, referring to the TPNPB, for the killings. They have recovered four out of the five victims' bodies and are actively pursuing the perpetrators.

Earlier this year, an American pilot, Nicholas Goselin, was shot dead by the TPNPB after landing a small commercial airplane in Yahukimo District. The TPNPB claimed the pilot was aiding Indonesian military personnel, a claim debunked by the company that owned the plane. Likewise, in early 2023, New Zealand pilot Phillip Mark Mehrtens was taken hostage for eighteen months by another faction within the TPNPB after landing a small commercial plane in Nduga District. Both aircraft were set on fire.

In April, sixteen Indonesians, identified as illegal gold miners, were killed by TPNPB forces in Yahukimo District. The TPNPB warned both outsiders and Indonesians to stay away from the Highland region, describing it as a war zone. Indonesian military operations in response to these incidents have resulted in civilian casualties and mass displacement of villagers.

Human Rights Monitor reports that Indonesian military actions in response to the Goselin killing have led to the death of three Papuan civilians in the Korowai region within the past eight days. These operations have also displaced hundreds of indigenous Papuans, including children, pregnant women, and the elderly, who have fled into nearby forests. As of late June 2026, over 125,931 civilians across multiple regencies remain internally displaced due to military operations and armed conflict.