19 Aug 2004

Indonesian military says it has killed two separatists who attacked one of its patrols

8:22 pm on 19 August 2004

In the Indonesian province of Papua the army reports it has shot and killed two people they say were separatist rebels who had attacked one of their patrols.

Major General Nurdin Zainal, who is responsible for security in Papua, says a two-hour shootout started on tuesday morning.

He says members of the separatist Free Papua Organization or OPM attacked five soldiers, who had been deployed after locals told the military a group of rebels was camping in a forest in the Carstenz mountain range.

The state news agency Antara says one of the soldiers was shot in the hand and hip during the clash.