Pacific

Three die as Indonesian forces retake Papua air strip

09:21 am on 8 June 2009

At least three people were killed after police from Indonesia's anti-terror unit stormed an isolated airstrip occupied for about two weeks by a group of unidentified gunmen in Papua province.

The state news agency Antara says the three killed include two suspected separatist rebels.

The Papua Police Chief, Bagus Ekodanto, says several police officers also suffered serious wounds after being attacked by bows and arrows.

He says police arrested a suspected rebel and a 14-year-old boy for further interrogation.

The group, which media reports said was linked to the secessionist Papua Free Movement, had occupied the airstrip in Papua's Kasepo sub-district for about two weeks.