Inco says no death threat made against company top officials

PT International Nickel Indonesia Tbk (PT Inco) denied an earlier report on Monday suggesting that death threats had been made against the company's top officials in the South Sulawesi mine.

"Until now, there has been no threats made against Inco's top officials. The executives and officials are in safe condition," Rajesha Nagara, communication relations manager at PT Inco, the Indonesian unit of the Canada-based nickel mining giant company Inco Limited.

Petromindo.com earlier on Monday published a report taken from ABC NewsOnline, which said that death threats have reportedly been made against the head of Inco, and other Westerners there, and as a result hundreds of additional Indonesian police are being requested to guard the site.

ABC said that the Australian government has issued a travel warning, which adds the area around the mine to the list of high risk regions.

Six Australians, some with families living with them in the area, are reportedly employed at the massive nickle mine and the world's biggest nickel smelter.

ABC quoted a security source involved in the area as saying that while Inco has a history of sometimes violent clashes with anti-mine activists, there are signs this threat may have come from an Islamist extremist group.(Godang)