Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Nanan Soekarna shows a picture of Papuan rebel leader Kelly Kwalik at a press conference in South Jakarta on Wednesday. The police shot dead a man who allegedly was Kelly and conducted a DNA test to confirm his identity. (Antara/Suryo Wibowo)
Authorities have flown the body of a man believed to be Papuan rebel leader Kelly Kwalik, who died after being shot during a raid earlier in the day, to Jayapura, Papua, Antara state news agency has reported.
Antara reported that the body was to be taken to a police hospital in the provincial capital to verify the identity through DNA testing.
On the same plane were Papua Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Syafei Aksal, Mobile Brigade deputy commander Godhelp C Mansnembra, and a number of high-ranking police officers.
Earlier, Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Agus Riyanto had confirmed that Kelly, a leader of the separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM), was shot during a raid in Timika early on Wednesday.
He was shot in the left thigh (not his right thigh, as previously reported) and died of severe bleeding in Kuala Kencana Hospital.
Five people were arrested in the raid.
Separately, hundreds of people have gathered and occupied Mimika regency legislative council office following the incident, demanding the police return the body to Timika.
Earlier this year, Papua Police had held a private meeting with Kelly in connection with a series of armed attacks targeting US-based mining company PT Freeport Indonesia in Mimika.
During the talks, Kelly claimed he was not responsible for the attacks, which, since the first ambush on July 11, had killed four people and injured dozens of others.
Police denied allegations that the police had set up the talks to justify their findings that local people were behind the violence. At least seven Mimika residents are facing trial in Jayapura for the attacks.
(Photo: Videostill Kelly Kwalik, July 1999, AFP)
A Papuanese protester gestures toward Indonesian police as they rally in front of the parliament building during a protest in Timika on December 18. Hundreds of supporters of a slain Papuan rebel leader have pelted Indonesian police with stones as tensions flared ahead of the commander's funeral. (AFP/Tjahyo Eranius)
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