Inp.polri.go.id - Jayapura. Forensic investigators from the Damai Cartenz Task Force revealed on Saturday (14/2/2026) that approximately 20 members of an armed criminal group (KKB) carried out the fatal ambush on a Smart Air aircraft at Korowai Airfield earlier this week. 

The investigation, which included a crime scene reconstruction, confirmed that the attackers emerged from a nearby building and opened fire as the pilot prepared for takeoff to Dekai.

"The attackers targeted the aircraft with concentrated gunfire, forcing everyone on board to flee for their lives," said Brigadier General Faizal Rahmadani, theHead of the Damai Cartenz Task Force, as cited by antaranews.com

Ballistic analysis identified 13 bullet holes in the fuselage of the PK-SNR aircraft. Witnesses reported that as the passengers scrambled for cover, the KKB members pursued and fatally shot the pilot and co-pilot. 

The perpetrators have been identified as members of the Kanibal and Semut Merah battalions, led by Elkius Kobak. While the victims have been repatriated for burial, joint military and police units have intensified their pursuit of the group, which is believed to have infiltrated Korowai from the neighboring Yahukimo region.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)