Rebels kill 5 in Indonesia’s Papua

Published Feb 21, 2013

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Jakarta -

Separatist rebels killed five soldiers and wounded three people in two separate attacks in the restive Indonesian province of Papua on Thursday, the military said.

Men with rifles ambushed a military vehicle in Puncak Jaya district, killing four soldiers and wounding two civilians, said military spokesman Iskandar Sitompul.

In a separate incident in the same district, gunmen attacked a military post, killing one soldier and wounding another, he said.

“The attackers are old players who have been involved in security disturbances,” he said, referring to separatist rebels.

Papua, one of Indonesia's poorest provinces despite abundant natural resources, has been the scene of a low-level separatist insurgency for decades. - Sapa-dpa

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