Armed groups opened fire on the Eagle 407 HP / PK-ZGM helicopter, PT Freeport Indonesia in the Benangin area near Tsinga Village, Tembagapura District, Mimika, Papua, Wednesday (6/1/2021).

Timika - Armed groups opened fire on the Eagle 407 HP / PK-ZGM Helicopter, PT Freeport Indonesia in the Benangin area near Kp Tsinga, Tembagapura District, Mimika, Papua, Wednesday (6/1/2021). The shooting was allegedly carried out by the Free Papua Organization (OPM) Kalikopi. Mimika Resort Police Chief Akbp I Gusti Gde Era Adhinata said the helicopter was shot during a GPS survey in the Benangin area near Tsinga Village, Tembagapura District, Papua. The following is the chronology explained by the Mimika Resort Police Chief Akbp I Gusti Gde Era Adhinata. Around 07.03 WIT PT Freeport Indonesia helicopter took off from Moses Kilangin Airport, Timika to carry out a GPS survey in the Benangin area near Kp Tsinga. Then at 08.40 WIT while taking aerial photographs right in the Benangin area the pilot felt the smell of fuell. So that the pilot landed at Heliped Benangin and saw a hole in the body of the plane then the pilot returned to Heliped 66 Tembagapura. "After an inspection of the Heli Bell 407 HP / PK-ZGM was hit on the body of the left heli, precisely under the left passenger door and there was a fuel leak at the bottom of the helicopter. In addition, the helicopter was shot while flying at an altitude of 1,500 feet," he said. Resort Police Chief. The Mimika Resort Police Chief said that until now an investigation is still being carried out to find out who the shooting perpetrator was in collaboration with a task force between the Indonesian National Army and the Indonesian National Police in Mimika Regency. The Resort Police Chief also emphasized that his party had examined three witnesses, namely pilot Stuward and the two passengers, namely Dave Jhon as Aviation Manager and Ardy Lotmaster.