Jakarta. The Indonesian Military announced on Monday that they have detained 13 soldiers accused of torturing a rebel detainee in Papua in a gruesome video that went viral on social media platforms.

“We have interrogated 42 soldiers and found indications that 13 of them had committed violent assault," Indonesian Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Kristomei was quoted by Kompas news website as saying.

The suspects are members of the 300th Braja Wijaya Infantry Battalion in West Java who were deployed to a border security operation in Papua at the time of the incident.

They are currently being detained at the Military Police detention facility in Bandung.

"We regret the incident because the military and the army have never encouraged nor condoned violent methods during any interrogation. This is a violation of existing law, and we will hold those involved accountable," Kristomei added.

Major General Izak Pangemanan, the commander of the Cenderawasih Military Command in Papua, made a public apology over the torture incident which occurred on February 3.

"We can confirm that the video depicts an actual event. The Cenderawasih Military Command is taking several measures, including establishing an investigation team which is currently doing its job in Puncak Jaya Regency, more precisely in the Ilaga area, Gome district, where the incident occurred," Izak said in Jakarta.

He added that "no perpetrator will get off scot-free".

The victim of the purported torture is identified as Definus Kogoya, a suspected member of a Papua rebel group who was recently arrested.

The video footage shows a number of individuals torturing him and cutting his back while he was kept inside a drum. One of them wears a green military t-shirt with the number “300” printed clearly in yellow on the chest, which purportedly refers to the 300th infantry battalion.

The video first appeared on X social media platform on Thursday.

"I apologize to all communities in Papua, and let’s be assured that we are taking measures to prevent a recurrence of such an incident in the future," he said.

Izak also vowed to deliver an open and fair trial against the suspects accessible to the media.

The military will adopt a stricter oversight method into security operations in Papua, he said.

Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid said on Saturday that the victim had died from the torture after being treated at a local hospital.

“Not a single person in the world or in Papua deserves inhuman treatment like that, especially when it causes someone to die,” Usman said.

Indonesian authorities have been battling growing resistance by armed rebellious groups in the easternmost province for at least the past five years, during which civilian construction workers or motorcycle taxi drivers were kidnapped and murdered. The government also blames rebels for deadly attacks on civilian facilities such as schools, hospitals, and markets.

The clashes between government security officers and rebels have claimed lives from both sides.

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