JAKARTA, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Two on-duty police officers in the eastern Indonesian province of Central Papua died on Wednesday in an ambush by armed insurgents, a police officer told local media.
The shooting reportedly took place in a police outpost in Paniai regency at around 8 a.m. local time.
According to Paniai Police Chief Abdus Syukur Felani, the armed group carried out a mass shooting against police officers who were deployed to secure a landing area for helicopters in the regency.
Two pieces of AK-47 assault rifles belonging to the two killed officers were also stolen by the rebel group, he said.
Felani said the incident is currently under investigation and security across Paniai is tightened to avoid further attacks.
The fighters were allegedly members of the Free Papua Movement, which has long engaged in rebellion and sought diplomatic ways to separate from Indonesia. The Free Papua Movement frequently targets civilians, police and soldiers in the Papua region, leaving casualties. ■
