One rebel killed in shootout

JAKARTA: At least one suspected rebel leader was killed in a Friday afternoon shootout with members of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) in Karmenawari village, West Coast district, Sarmi, Papua on Friday.

Jayapura 172 Military Regiment commander Col. Inf. Agus Mulyadi said the Kopassus Rajawali task force, led by Lt. Inf. Tambunan, raided the village after receiving a tip from local people that a group of five rebels were holding a meeting there.

The dead man was identified as Leo Warisman. Four others escaped.

Leo Warisman had been accused of leading an attack on a military post in Takar, East Coast regency in 2001, which killed four Kopassus members.

Members of the task force also confiscated four weapons, 40 rounds of ammunition, a typewriter, various documents and the Morning Star independence flag.

Troops briefly detained for questioning four civilians -- two women and two children but later released them due to lack of evidence of their involvement in the secessionist movement.

A low-level secessionist movement has been going on in the resource-rich province since the 1960s after Indonesia claimed the territory. -- Antara