24 Jul 2015

Foreign involvement not ruled out in Papua attack

7:37 pm on 24 July 2015

Indonesia's intelligence chief Sutiyoso says foreigners may have been involved in an attack last week in the country's Papua region which left a mosque burnt, several people injured and one dead.

Security forces fired warning shots to disperse a crowd of about 200 after they reportedly disrupted an Islamic prayer meeting and attacked a mosque in Tolikara, Papua.

Security forces fired warning shots to disperse a crowd of about 200 after they reportedly disrupted an Islamic prayer meeting and attacked a mosque in Tolikara, Papua. Photo: SP Photo/Robert Isodorus

Reports from Indonesia say police are still investigating the incident in the Tolikara district in which a group of 200 men attacked shops and houses belonging to Muslims during the Idul Fitri celebration last Friday.

According to the Indonesian website Tempo, Sutiyoso claims there were several parties of interest that made use of the incident to attack government and its institutions.

The Jakarta Post reports the State Intelligence Agency chief also dismissed criticism that his agency failed to prevent the incident.

He said it detected signs of religious tension between the mostly indigenous Christian majority and the predominantly migrant Muslim community six days before the incident.

Sutiyoso has also instructed his officials across the country to anticipate a possible backlash in the aftermath of the incident particularly in areas which have radical groups.

Tabloid Jubi reports five days after the incident six victims shot in the fray were still waiting for surgery to remove bullets from their bodies.