PNG rebels claim 13 govt troop deaths

PNG rebels claim 13 govt troop deaths

SYDNEY (Reuter): Rebels on Papua New Guinea's Bougainville Island yesterday reported killing 13 soldiers in an attack that Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan said was a setback to peace in the South Pacific's longest armed conflict.

Exact details of Sunday's attack remain unclear. Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) rebels said they had killed 13 soldiers, captured five and had a further 15 trapped at the government base at Kunga Beach in southern Bougainville.

As word of the attack spread, Australia yesterday offered to host new peace talks between Port Moresby and rebels to end the eight-year secessionist conflict.

The National newspaper in Port Moresby yesterday reported defense sources as saying 12 soldiers were killed, 12 injured and 18 were still missing after the attack.

"It is the biggest number of casualties suffered by the PNG security forces in any single engagement in the Bougainville rebellion," said The National.

Chan described the attack as "barbaric".

"...it is not only a major setback on progress achieved to date, but also aimed at sabotaging ongoing genuine efforts by both sides resolving the Bougainville issue," he said in statement received here yesterday.

"The government has done everything possible to restore normalcy on Bougainville, however, with this kind of treatment by the BRA, our initiatives and commitment for peace are once more being jeopardized," Chan said.

Thousands have died from fighting or disease since the start of the conflict on the resource-rich island, 800 kilometers northeast of the Papua New Guinean capital.

The rebels' Bougainville Interim Government, set up in 1990 in Arawa in the rebel-held central part of the island, said about 100 rebels attacked Kangu on Sunday afternoon.

"Reports just reaching us from Bougainville said there was renewed and very heavy fighting between the Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF) and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army over the weekend," the interim government said in a statement.

"According to BRA information, five of the PNGDF soldiers surrendered and handed over their arms and ammunition to the BRA," it said. "The BRA also alleged that 13 of the PNGDF were killed during the fighting," the statement said.

The statement said rebels had surrounded the Kangu camp where 15 soldiers were still alive.

"The remaining PNG soldiers are still surrounded and it is feared that they are now helpless against the BRA soldiers, who have the full command of the area. Time is now running out for them," the statement said.

The statement named the five soldiers captured and listed their serial numbers.