2 soldiers killed in rebel strike in Papua, Indonesia

One soldier from the Indonesian Armed Forces special unit and a retired army man were killed in a preemptive strike allegedly launched by members of the separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM) in Papua province, military spokesman said Saturday.

The attack occurred on Friday on Mulia town in Puncak Jaya district when four military men were engaging in a community development activity, said Rear Admiral Moh. Sunarto.

"One soldier and a retired soldier were shot dead," he told Xinhua.

The spokesman said that the case is now under the investigation.

The Free Papua Organization has campaigned for more than 30 years to break away from Indonesia. The organization has insisted on seeking international support through some international forum and taking up arms.

Lying at the eastern end of the huge archipelago, the vast province was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 under a UN-backed vote by community leaders after Jakarta took over the province from Dutch colonial rule in 1963.

Source: Xinhua