Markus Makur and Dicky Christanto , The Jakarta Post , Timika, Jakarta | Tue, 07/14/2009 11:09 AM | Headlines
The body of a policeman was discovered in a ravine near PT Freeport Indonesia's Grasberg mine on Monday, bringing the death toll from a series of weekend ambushes in the restive Papua province to three, officials have said.
The latest victim was identified as Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) Second Brig. Marsom Patipea, who was assigned to secure the Grasberg mining complex.
Australian mining expert Drew Nicholas Grant and security guard Markus Rattealo were also killed over the weekend. Seven others were injured in three shootings incidents within a 3.2-kilometer radius around the Grasberg mine, the world's largest source of gold and copper.
Marsom was reported missing Sunday after a gunfight erupted with assailants in hills around mile 51 of a road running through Kuala Kencana district in the direction of Tembagapura, where expatriates working for Freeport live. It is believed he may have fallen while seeking cover, Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. F.X. Bagus Ekodanto said.
He said Marsom's body was found at the bottom of a 50-meter deep ravine on Monday at around 12 noon local time.
"We managed to locate Marsom's body by tracking down his cellular phone," National police spokesman Insp. Gen. Nanan Soekarna said in Jakarta.
He affirmed that police investigators found no bullet wounds in Marsom's body.
From an early examination, he added, the police found that Marson died jumping out of the left door of a truck carrying security personnel in an attempt to escape Sunday's gunfight.
"There was a witness who saw Marson jump out of the truck and fall down the ravine," Nanan said.
Marson was tasked with escorting the second of two trucks deployed to send supporting logistics from Mile 50 to Mile 53 of the road.
At Mile 51 the truck was ambushed from the right by assailants, whose gunfire killed security guard Markus Rattealo.
"The victim's *Marsom* body has been taken to the Kuala Kencana clinic for an autopsy and will be handed over to his family on Tuesday," Bagus said.
The clinic, close to the Freeport office complex in Kuala Kencana, was put under tight guard from police to discourage any possible further attacks.
In further developments, the body of Markus was flown Monday from the Mimika airport to his hometown of Tanah Toraja, South Sulawesi, for burial.
Aside form tightening security around the Freeport mine, the police are continuing their search for gunmen near the site of the ambush.
Authorities have blamed Papuan separatists for the latest attacks, but police said they have recovered bullet casings consistent with standard military and police issue weapons from the scene.
"We found evidence, namely projectiles of type DJ 5.6 millimeters that are normally used by police and military soldiers," Papua Police chief of detectives Sr. Comr. Bambang Yudi said.
Yorris Raweyai, a Papuan member of the House of Representatives, dismissed claims that the Free Papua Organization (OPM) was responsible for the deaths.
"We know the OPM has been labeled as a troublemaker in Papua for four decades," he told Associated Press. "But we also know that they have no guns and fight for their struggle peacefully."
The latest ambushes were the worst attacks in the militarized Freeport zone since two American school teachers and an Indonesian colleague were shot dead in 2002.
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