The air at Dekai, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan (Highland Papua) Province was calm and serene on the morning of Monday, February 2, 2026. surrounding 9:00 AM local time (WIT), workers were already going about their business at and surrounding SMP (Junior High School) YPK Yakpesmi, a junior high school on Jalan Seradala Km 03. Students were getting ready for their first classes, teachers were making lesson preparations, and pickup trucks were parked along the lane on campus.
Daniel Datti was carefully sanding the edges of wooden planks in a classroom that was almost done. He was making tables and chairs for the school, which would assist the pupils learn. Daniel was a well-known and well-liked carpenter in the area when he was 41. He was not a soldier or a government worker. He was a civilian working to help education.
That day, he died in a horrific way.
A Violent Attack at a Place That Should Be Safe
Witnesses heard the first loud crack of a gun from the back of the school grounds shortly after 9:00 AM. At first, students and teachers thought the noise emanated from construction or traffic far away. Then there were more gunfire. There was a lot of chaos after that.
Police and people who saw it happen said that armed men suddenly showed up near the school. Daniel let go of his tools and tried to run away. He raced toward the teacher’s lounge to get away, but three attackers with different weapons chased him. One person had a makeshift gun with a long barrel, another had a hand axe, and a third person filmed the attack on their phone as it happened.
Daniel was trapped in the teacher’s room at school. He was hit in the head, back, and both knees by several bullets. Emergency responders later confirmed that his wounds were lethal and that he died at the site.
The attackers ran back toward the neighboring plants and jungle margins following the gunfire. They disappeared into the rough terrain that surrounds much of Yahukimo.
The crime scene shocked the whole community.
The peaceful morning at SMP YPK Yakpesmi rapidly turned into a nightmare. Media reports and pictures showed smashed window glass in classroom XII and the back window of a red private car in the school’s parking lot that was probably hit by stones thrown during the incident.
Students and teachers stood there in shock. Some parents cried while others called family members in a panic to check on loved ones at the school gate. A lot of kids held on to their teachers for comfort. A school that was supposed to help kids grow has turned into a violent place.
Security Forces Take Action and Look into It
Within an hour, units from the Yahukimo District Police (Polres Yahukimo) and the combined security task group Satgas Operasi Damai Cartenz 2026 were on the site. The location was closed off by investigators, who then started gathering forensic evidence. They found pieces of metal that are thought to be gunshot casings and debris from the wrecked car and classroom. The victim’s clothes and shards of broken glass were also kept for study.
The RSUD Dekai Regional Hospital did a medical checkup and an autopsy on Daniel’s body. Police started talking to witnesses and school workers to put together a timeline of the incident. At the same time, uniformed officers stepped up patrols throughout Dekai to stop more violence.
Brigadier General Faizal Ramadhani, who is in charge of the Operasi Damai Cartenz 2026, spoke out against the killing in public. He made it clear that schools should be safe places to learn, not places where people are attacked with violence. The police promised to find the people who did it and make sure the area was safe so that school could start up again without fear.
A Target for Civilians, Not a Soldier
What makes this attack so scary is that the victim is clearly a civilian. Daniel had nothing to do with military operations, local politics, or security forces. He was a carpenter who made furniture for youngsters to help with their education. His death shows how much the fighting in Papua has already changed daily life.
Authorities called the attackers “people without known identity” (orang tak dikenal) in statements to the press. However, security experts and regional observers say that parts of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) and its armed wing are the main suspects in this type of violence. Armed groups have been active in the region a lot in the previous several months, and this recent attack seems to be a sign that they are becoming bolder in their attacks on civilians and public places.
Happening After the Shooting of the Truck Driver
Just a few days before Daniel’s death, there had been another violent event in Yahukimo that had already made many uneasy. On January 30, 2026, armed men shot and injured 42-year-old truck driver Jany Trio Mayaut while he was driving on the desolate Logpon to Dekai road. The driver lived, but his arm was hurt.
The earlier incident was scary since it was aimed at a civilian worker who was moving items that people need every day. The attack on Daniel at school made people feel even less safe because it hit a school and someone who had come to work for the community.
Analysts warn that this string of violence points to a worrying trend. Armed groups seem to be more willing to attack civilians instead of just fighting with government personnel. This makes daily life in rural Papua less safe.
What Happened After for Students and Families
The attack had an immediate emotional effect on the people in the area. Teachers said that a lot of pupils were too scared to go back to school the next several days. Parents kept their kids at home because they were afraid of more violence. Local school officials said they would assist families deal with the trauma by offering counseling and other forms of support.
Teachers stressed that Daniel’s work would have made classes more comfortable and useful. Instead, his sudden death left classrooms empty and a school community in grief. One instructor noted that seeing the desks and chairs he worked on will always remind them of what they had lost, not just in lives but also in the sense of belonging that education should give them.
A Wider Rise in Violence
The murder of a civilian inside a school building shows how bad the Papua war has gotten. This conflict has been going on for decades and is distinguished by sporadic battles between armed separatist groups and Indonesian security forces. In the past, incidents connected to the conflict generally happened in distant jungle locations or were aimed at security personnel. But in the last year, there have been more events that affect regular people, schools, and important services.
The tragedy shows how important it is for the Indonesian government and security forces to deal with both armed opposition and the safety of people in areas affected by conflict. For others who watch from outside the country, it serves as a reminder that when civilians are targeted, disputes tend to develop from small fights to bigger problems that affect the whole community.
A Community with Big Questions
Many people in Yahukimo and beyond were very sad and angry when they heard of Daniel’s death. A carpenter who went to work that morning and never came back is a harsh reminder that violence in war zones eventually reaches the homes of civilians.
Local officials asked for calm and told people not to retaliate, but to trust the authorities to do their jobs and investigate and prosecute the crime. But underneath that quiet, everyday people like workers, parents, kids, and teachers feel vulnerable and wonder if going to school or work is still safe.
Final Thoughts
The death of 41-year-old carpenter Daniel Datti within SMP YPK Yakpesmi in Dekai, Yahukimo is more than just a sad tragedy. It shows a big change in how violence works in Papua’s highlands. It illustrates that people who aren’t in the military are suddenly being attacked in places that used to be safe, like schools.
The incident, which happened so soon after the shooting of a civilian truck driver on a rural route, has prompted critical issues about what may happen to civilians in conflict-affected areas of Papua in the future. Schools should not be places where people fight. But the sense of safety has changed severely for Daniel and the people of Dekai.
As security forces keep looking into and going after those responsible, Daniel’s life and career will always be linked to the fight to protect civilians, keep the peace, and make sure that war doesn’t take away the everyday humanity of regular people.