JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia’s military said it killed 14 Papuan fighters during an operation to free a village from the control of separatists in the restive province this week, and said residents had welcomed the soldiers.
Troops moved toward the village of Soanggama on Tuesday night and a firefight with a group of about 30 separatists broke out early on Wednesday morning, local military official Iwan Dwi Prihartono said in a statement.
He said it took until midday for the soldiers to secure the village, with 14 separatist fighters dead and the others fleeing into a nearby forest and leaving weapons and equipment behind.
“The military was successful in killing 14 people,” Iwan said. The commander of the operation, Major General Lucky Avianto, said in the statement that the soldiers’ actions were lawful and measured, and upheld national sovereignty.
A spokesperson for the Papua separatists, Sebby Sambom, did not immediately respond on Thursday to a request for comment about the fighting.
The Free Papua Movement has fought a low-level campaign for independence in Papua since the area was controversially brought under Indonesian control following Dutch rule in a vote overseen by the United Nations in 1969.
Separatist fighters in Papua have in recent years managed to acquire better weapons, including some taken in raids on army posts or sourced from the black market.
They have also abducted foreigners, including a New Zealand pilot who was released last year after being held for 19 months.
Papua is one of the poorest regions in Indonesia despite being rich in resources such as natural gas, copper and gold.
(Reporting by Stanley Widianto; Editing by John Mair)
