TNI identifies Freeport attacker

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Military (TNI) has identified one of the attackers who killed three Freeport Indonesia employees on Saturday as a member of Free Papua Organization (OPM), an officer said on Wednesday.

TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told The Jakarta Post the OPM figure in question was Titus Murif, whose group opened fire on a convoy of cars carrying the gold and copper mine company employees on their way to Tembagapura in Papua on Saturday. Apart from the casualties, 12 people were injured in the incident in a place where security used to be tight.

"Titus Murif is a leader of a hard-line faction of OPM and is one of Kelly Kwalik's subordinates," Sjafrie said.

Kelly is a rebel leader, who was held responsible for abduction of foreign and local researchers in 1996.

Sjafrie said the projectiles discovered at the site of incident were from M-16 A1 automatic and SP-1 semiautomatic rifles.

He, nevertheless, refused to estimate the strength of Titus' group, but underlined that "they are just a little group who are trying to show that they exist."

Earlier, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu claimed that the military was seeking around 15 rebels linked to the ambush who "conducted an attack in a territory belonging to Kwalik's separatist rebel group."

National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar did not immediately point the finger at OPM, saying that the police were still unsure about the identity of the perpetrators.

Da'i is currently visiting the province in an attempt to collect more first-hand information about the attack.

Asked how the group managed to enter the compound which is tightly guarded, Sjafrie refused to speculate.

"In this unconventional war, OPM is on the alert, waiting until security officers lose their concentration. And that was what exactly what happened there," he said.

He rejected speculation that TNI and the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) Tribuana stationed in the territory backed the attack.