An 18-year-old Papuan girl named Ms Pendite Weya was reportedly killed by a suspected drone-delivered explosive in Wunapunggu Village, Melagi District, Lanny Jaya Regency, during a security force operation on the morning of 6 June 2026. According to various sources, the explosion occurred in a civilian residential area. Mrs Weya sustained lethal injuries as a result of shrapnel during the attack, including extensive wounds to her left and right arm, face and chest. Following the incident, relatives cremated the body in accordance with local customs (see photo below, source: independent HRD). Two other villagers, Mr Yoban Kiwone Wenda, 40, and Mr Mayu Walia, 21, were reported missing since the security force operation took place. Their bodies had reportedly not been discovered as of 15 June 2026.
According to reports received from local sources, Indonesian military personnel (TNI) allegedly conducted an aerial operation using an unmanned drone over Wunapunggu Village on the morning of 6 June 2026. The drone reportedly dropped an explosive which exploded right next to Ms Penti Weya, causing fatal injuries. The explosion also left a crater at the scene (see photo on top, source: independent HRD) and triggered panic amongst local residents, many of whom reportedly fled the area fearing further attacks. At the time of writing, no official statement has been issued by the TNI regarding the incident. Local sources reported that further reported that aerial operations in the Melagi District area remained ongoing following the incident.
On 15 June 2026, students from Lanny Jaya Regency submitted a formal complaint to the Papua Office of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) during a free speech rally in Abepura, Jayapura City. The protest condemned the military operation in Lanny Jaya and urged authorities to investigate alleged human rights violations affecting civilians. They called for the establishment of an independent investigative team, direct investigations by regional authorities, and a shift away from security-oriented approaches towards peaceful and humanitarian solutions.
Human rights analysis
If confirmed, the deliberate or indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in or near civilian-populated areas raises serious concerns under international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL). Parties to an armed conflict are required to distinguish at all times between civilians and military objectives and to take all feasible precautions to minimise civilian harm. Attacks directed against civilians or carried out without adequate precautions may constitute serious violations of IHL. The reported killing of Mrs Penti Weya and the alleged enforced disappearance of Mr Yoban Kiwone Wenda and Mr Maju Walia also engages Indonesia’s obligations under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects the right to life. The use of lethal force resulting in civilian deaths must be subject to a prompt, effective, independent and impartial investigation capable of establishing the facts, identifying those responsible and providing accountability and remedies to victims’ families
Following the deadly attack on 6 June 2026, relatives cremated Ms Pendite Weya’s body in accordance with local customs
Detailed Case Data
Document ID: HRM-CAS-075-2026
Region: Indonesia > Highland Papua > Lanny Jaya > Melagi
Total number of victims: 3
#
Number of Victims
Name, Details
Gender
Age
Group Affiliation
Violations
1.
1
Pendite Weya
female
18
Indigenous Peoples
execution, right to life, unlawful killing
2.
1
Yoban Kiwone Wenda
male
40
Indigenous Peoples
disappearance
3.
1
Mayu Walia
male
21
Indigenous Peoples
disappearance
Perpetrator: Republic Indonesia > Indonesian Security Forces > Indonesian Military (TNI)
Issues: drones and clusterammunition, security force violence, women and children
Related Cases:
Alleged enforced disappearances, mass displacement, and starvation risks following military operations in Lanny Jaya
Military members torture dozens of indigenous Papuans in Lanny Jaya, among them four minors – One victim killed