2 injured in latest Freeport attack

A group of gunmen opened fires on Saturday morning at a bus belongs to U.S.-controlled gold and copper mining firm Freeport McMoran Indonesia near the firm's premises in Timika, Papua, leaving two men injured, the News portal tempointeraktif.com reported here on Saturday.

It reported that the bus, carrying 10 Freeport security guards and two cleaning service worker, was shot at when it passed along mile 42-43 of the road leading to the mining site at around 8:50 a.m. local time.

Papua Police spokesman Agus Riyanto confirmed the shooting, explaining that the injured victims were taken to a clinic in Kuala Kencana, the Freeport's cluster housing compound.

Spate of shootings at Freeport's buses frequently occurred on the road leading to Freeport's Grasberg gold and copper mining sites in the last few months, killing three workers and police. .

Earlier this week, a military vehicle was shot at by unidentified armed band in the area.

The latest shooting took place days after the deployment of 600Indonesian military troops to help the police in safeguarding the firm's workers.

The troops joined more than 1,300 police already stationed there to safeguard the one of the world's largest gold and copper mining site.(*)