to Batak were set on fire. Clashes then occurred, which resulted in a number of deaths and injuries. Both of the accused Batak merchants, Albert Sitorus and Ramot Siagian, were killed during the rioting. It was later reported that fifteen buildings were torched during the rioting. Aftermath In the aftermath of the rioting, Indonesian security forces deployed 200 additional personnel to secure the area, including a Mobile Brigade company. By the following day, the situation was described by authorities as "conducive", with no further violence reported. They also reported that ten civilians had been killed, while 18 police officers or soldiers had been injured by either arrows or thrown rocks. Out of the ten civilians reported killed by authorities, either seven or eight were reportedly rioters shot by security forces, the rest being non-Papuan civilians killed by rioters. Hasegem reported that nine Papuans were killed, eight of whom were shot. He further noted that most of the killed Papuans had been shot in the head or neck. By 24 February, authorities had confirmed twelve deaths: Sitorus and Siagian, along with ten Papuans. At least 23 injuries among civilians and rioters were recorded. Due to the incident, schools in the town were closed the following day. Thousands of civilians took refuge in the local military and police headquarters or places of worship. The police chief for Papua, , initiated an evaluation on the conduct of local police units, and requested that police use a "soft" approach in responding to locals due to heightened tensions. The ten Papuans killed were buried on 25 February at the Sinakma Public Cemetery. The previous day, bodies of Sitorus and Siagian had been flown to Jayapura and later to Medan. On 26 February, authorities arrested 13 individuals suspected of inciting the riots. They were released two days later. Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD later stated that the riot had nothing to do with the ongoing separatist movement, and had been purely incited by the kidnapping rumor. References February 2023 events in Indonesia Riots and civil disorder in Indonesia History of Highland Papua Ethnic conflicts in Indonesia Ethnic riots