The trio were discovered with machete and gunshot wounds close to a patrol vehicle on Thursday, reported the Viva.co.id news site. They had been working at a site managed by PT Freeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of US-based gold and copper mining firm Freeport-McMoRan Inc.
“We suspect they were killed while conducting a routine patrol around Freeport,” Papua police spokesman Patric Renwarin was quoted as saying.
Police also said they cordoned off the are, launching an investigation into the incident. Additional forces were deployed to the troubled region in a bid to prevent any further incidents.
The Freeport mining complex in Papua’s Mimika district has seen several previous fatal attacks. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, authorities have blamed rebels of the Free Papua Movement. The organisation has fought for an independent state in the western half of the island of New Guinea island since the 1960s.
Under-developed yet rich in resources, Papua has seen sporadic clashes between security forces and suspected rebels in recent years.
