Papua Police Spokesman Sr. Comsr. Ahmad Mustofa Kamal said that the church was burned on Thursday, March 12. “The motive is still being investigated,” said Ahmad on March 18.

The church purportedly became a hideout of the armed group when they were given chase by a joint Indonesian Military (TNI) and Police team. Firefights continued until the armed group retreated to the Optiwak region. Thousands of the area’s inhabitants had