17 Dec 2003

US agents to probe killing in Papua province

5:38 am on 17 December 2003

The Indonesian army says US agents from the FBI will be allowed to question 15 Indonesian soldiers over the killing last year of two Americans in Papua province.

Indonesian police have neither made any arrests nor named any suspects following the incident in which gunmen shot at a van carrying teachers from a school run by the US-owned Freeport mine.

FBI teams have visited Indonesia three times over the case that has put under the spotlight relations between the Indonesian military and foreign facilities in the country.

The military, which provides security at the site, has blamed the rebels for the attack and repeatedly denied any role.