Papua, Jubi – Rebel fighters in West Papua’s Central Highlands shot and wounded two Indonesian soldiers on Wednesday.
It’s the latest violence in troubled Nduga regency, where a war has killed dozens on both sides since December.
Indonesia’s military says a helicopter was unloading 10 soldiers and supplies at a compound in Nduga when rebels sprang an ambush.
A military spokesperson, Colonel Mohammad Aidi, said two soldiers suffered gunshot wounds in the hit-and-run attack on Wednesday morning .
He said they were in a stable condition at nearby Timika General Hospital.
Claiming responsibility for the attack, the West Papua Liberation Army said it killed three soldiers and injured three others.
The rebel group, which is frequently at odds with the military over incident reports, claimed to have killed another two soldiers on Tuesday in a separate attack in Nduga.
Colonel Aidi said the military forces tried to retaliate during Wednesday’s attack but that the rebels had attacked suddenly before disappearing into a forest. (*)
Source: RNZI
