Bombs found near Freeport

Bombs found near Freeport

JAKARTA: A bomb planted under a bridge near the part U.S.- owned Freeport copper and gold mine in Irian Jaya was detonated but failed to explode on Saturday, the Indonesian Military (TNI) said Tuesday.

The incident is the latest attack on the company after the recent ambush of two buses carrying teachers and their families. Two Americans and an Indonesian were killed and 12 others wounded.

The Army have blamed separatists in Indonesia's most eastern province, while others have pointed the finger firmly at the TNI.

In the latest attack three bombs were found near Tembagapura, the main base of Freeport Indonesia, a local subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc., Papua Military Commander Major General Mahidin Simbolon said.

Simbolon said all the materials used for the bombs, including explosives, detonators, cables, a gas container and batteries, were believed to have come from the mining company itself.

"We have handed these over to local police to investigate who would have access to these explosives because in Freeport such explosives are very difficult to steal as their use is strictly supervised," Simbolon said. --AFP