Rebels claim responsibility for deadly ambush

Final flight: Indonesian police and military officers transferring bodies from a helicopter to an ambulance in Timika after 10 people were shot dead in Papua. — AFP

SEPARATISTS in Indonesia’s restive eastern province of Papua claimed responsibility for the killing of 10 people over the weekend, accusing the victims of being spies for the government in Jakarta.

Gunmen and attackers armed with sharp weapons had ambushed a truck of traders transporting goods through a remote highland area on Saturday, according to police, who blamed rebels for the killings.