Captured alive on 14 October 2026, held for questioning at a Marine task force tactical command post
Credit: Dok. Dispen Kormar TNI AL via Kompas.com, 14 Oktober 2026; potongan satu orang dari dokumentasi penangkapan
Wakil Panglima Kodap IV Sorong Raya dalam struktur TPNPB-OPM; disebut berpangkat “Kolonel” dalam struktur kelompok, bukan pangkat TNI/Polri
Zakarias Fatem
Deputy commander of TPNPB-OPM’s 4th Defense Command Sorong Raya, captured alive by the Gobang VII Task Force of the 9th Marine Infantry Battalion on 14 October 2026 at 00.45 local time in Southwest Papua without resistance. His name appears in the armed group’s own claim of responsibility for the shooting of four Trans-Papua road workers on the Teluk Bintuni–Maybrat border on 29 September 2022. No police or military statement ties him to any specific incident; the authorities cite questioning over his suspected activity and involvement in an armed group.
Personal Dossier & Background
Date & Place of BirthNo public source, including the arrest coverage, states his date of birth or age.
Tribe & Regional OriginFatem clan. Every incident linked to him occurred in Maybrat Regency, Southwest Papua, but no source states his home village or district, so none is assumed.
Family Background / ParentsDalam penelusuran arsip
Educational BackgroundDalam penelusuran arsip
Dossier sourcesANTARA — Prajurit Marinir tangkap salah satu petinggi OPM (14 Okt 2026) · Kompas.com — Marinir Tangkap Wakil Panglima Daerah OPM di Papua Barat Daya (14 Okt 2026) · Kompas.com — Diringkus Marinir pada Dini Hari, Wakil Panglima Daerah OPM: Saya Menyerah (15 Okt 2026) · Fajar Papua — Sempat Dilaporkan Hilang, Petinggi OPM Berpangkat Kolonel Ditangkap Aparat (15 Okt 2026) · BeritaSatu — Prajurit Marinir Tangkap Wakil Panglima Kodap IV Soraya OPM (14 Okt 2026) · BenarNews — Indonesian Military Blames Pro-Independence Group for Deadly Attack in West Papua (21 Jan 2022) · Kompas.com — Polisi Sebut Pelaku Penembakan Pekerja di Teluk Bintuni Kelompok TPNPB-OPM (30 Sep 2022) · iNews.id — TPNPB Kodap IV Sorong Raya Klaim Bertanggung Jawab atas Penembakan 4 Pekerja Jalan (30 Sep 2022) · Suara Papua — TPNPB OPM Mengaku Bantai Empat Pekerja Jalan di Teluk Bintuni (30 Sep 2022) · TOMEI.id — TPNPB Kodap IV Sorong Raya Umumkan Duka Nasional (26 Mar 2026) · Suara Papua — Dua Prajurit TNI-AL Gugur Dalam Kontak Tembak di Maybrat (22 Mar 2026) · ANTARA — Daftar pencarian orang kasus Maybrat 2022 (24 Feb 2022)
Track Record of Crimes & Threats
- Structural leadership in an armed group: described as deputy commander of the 4th Defense Command Sorong Raya from at least January 2022 — a command behind a series of armed attacks in Maybrat and Teluk Bintuni.
- Named in TPNPB-OPM’s own claim as one of the commanders behind the shooting of four Trans-Papua road workers (Abas, Yafet, Darmin, Armin) on the Teluk Bintuni–Maybrat border on 29 September 2022. This attribution comes from the group’s claim; the police instead named Manfret Fatem as the leader of the attacking group, and Zakarias Fatem does not appear in the wanted list for that case.
- Described as involved in the group’s claim of responsibility for the attack on a military post at the Aifuf river bridge, Central East Aifat, on 20 January 2022, in which one soldier was killed. The claim comes from the group’s spokesman; the military itself blamed another party for the same incident.
- Listed as the official relaying the group’s report on the attack on a military post at Kampung Sori, South Aifat, on 22 March 2026, in which two Marines were killed. In that claim his role is that of an official passing on a report, while another figure is named as the field perpetrator.
Documented Losses & Civilian Damage
Fatalities: Four civilian workers killed (29 September 2022) and one soldier killed (20 January 2022) in incidents that name him through the group’s claims; two Marines killed on 22 March 2026 in an incident that names him as the reporting official. No official determination links those victims to him.
Displacement: Civilians in Aifat and surrounding districts repeatedly displaced by the series of attacks and security operations in the 4th Defense Command Sorong Raya area (2021–2026).
Public Facilities: —