Three Military Officers Injured Shot at on Board a Helicopter in Papua

Jayapura, Papua - Three military officers on board a helicopter were injured shot at by armed gang of separatists on Friday when the aircraft was about to evacuate the bodies of seven soldiers killed on Thursday by the separatists from Sinak in the regency of Puncak. Sources at Mulia, the municipal city of Puncak regency, told Antara news agency the three soldiers First Lieutenant Amang, Major Asep and Captain Tata suffered minor injuries in the legs and arms partly by shards of metal. The incident took place at 08.25 local time around 10 minutes after taking off from Mulia that the aircraft was forced to return to the city to allow the threes to get first aid at the Mulia Hospital in the city. Yesterday, separatists attacked security posts killing seven soldiers in Sinak and one in Tingginambut, in the regency of Puncak Jaya. The seven soldiers killed in Sinak were First Sergeants Ramadhan, M Udin and Frans, and Privates Mustofa, Edi, Jojo Wiharjo and Wempi. The one killed in Tingginambut was Private Wahyu Wibowo. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has passed order to hunt for the armed gangs and maintain security in the country's restive easternmost region. (*)