Indonesia military says 14 Papuan separatists killed in village battle

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JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia’s military said it killed 14 Papuan fighters during an operation to free a village from the control of separatists this week and residents had welcomed its troops.

The Free Papua Movement has fought for independence since the area was brought under Indonesian control following Dutch rule, in a vote overseen by the United Nations in 1969. Papua is one of Indonesia’s poorest regions, despite being rich in resources including natural gas, copper and gold.

Local military official Iwan Dwi Prihartono said in a statement on Wednesday that Indonesian troops had moved towards the village of Soanggama on Tuesday night and a firefight with a group of about 30 separatists broke out early on Wednesday morning.

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, he said.

Sebby Sambom, a spokesperson for the Papua separatists, said in a statement on Thursday that the Indonesian military had killed a total of 15 people, including 12 civilians and three of its members, calling the killings unlawful.

Major General Lucky Avianto, the commander of the operation, said in the statement that the soldiers’ actions were lawful and measured, and upheld national sovereignty.

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.

(Reporting by Stanley Widianto; Editing by John Mair and Alexander Smith)