Timika (ANTARA News) - Unidentified gunmen on Wednesday ambushed a convoy of 12 buses carrying PT Freeport workers to their work place with unverifiable reports saying a number of people were hurt. The convoy with police and military escort was on its way from Timika to Tembagapura and the ambush happened at a point between Mile 52 and Mile 53 at 11:15 local time. Because of the incident, the convoy was forced to return to its starting point at Mile 50.
According to unofficial sources, a number of people in the bus convoy were hurt by the gun men`s fire but local security officials were not available to give further details. The buses were carrying hundreds of mostly male PT Freeport workers who had boarded the vehicles at a terminal at Mile 50 to be transported to Tembagapura. One of the workers said they were happy to return to work although they remained uncertain about security conditions on their way to Tembagapura."We were told today to return to Tembagapura by bus in a convoy, guarded by military and police personnel," said Anto, one of the workers.
Anto said PT Freeport had prepared about 12 buses to transport them to Tembagapura but he was not certain what time the buses would leave.On Saturday (July 11), three persons, including one worker of the US gold and copper mining company PT Freeport, was killed in the Freeport concession area in Papua.
Drew Nicholas Grant, an Australian national who worked for PT Freeport, was shot dead by unknown gunmen at Mile-53 on Saturday (July 11). Drew Grant was shot in the chest and neck. On Sunday (July 12), there were two armed attacks respectively at Mile 51 and Mile 2, which killed Markus Rante Allo, a security guard of PT Freeport. Then on Monday (July 13), Brigadier I Marson, a Papua police officer, was found dead at mile 52 road connecting Timika and Tembagapura, Mimika District, Papua Province, after reportedly gone missing earlier.
Source : Thursday, July 23, 2009 00:44 WIB | National |
(ANTARA/Stringer/*)
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