POLICE STILL STUDYING EVIDENCE ON TIMIKA SHOOTING INCIDENT

Jakarta, Jan 26 (ANTARA) - The police are still studying available bits of evidence on last Sunday's shooting incident in Timika, Papua, a spokesman said.

"We have a number of clues which we hope can help us identify and find the suspects," the National Police's chief information officer, Insp Gen Adward Aritonang, said here on Tuesday.

Edward declined to give more details of the evidence which the police had collected from the scene of the incident.

He said the police, in cooperation with the army, were still conducting search operations and studying several materials for evidence collected from the scene.

So, the police could not confirm if the shooting was linked to the separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM) led by the late Kelly Kwalik because no one had so far been arrested or declared a suspect, he said.

He said the national police trusted the regional police command with regard to arresting the perpetrators and would not send reinforcements.

Regarding the two Police Mobile Brigade members who had been injured in the incident, Edward said the two had undergone surgery.

Unknown gunmen fired on a convoy of two buses and four LWB cars while they were passing Checkpoint 66 in the concession area of PT Freeport Indonesia on their way to Kuala Kencana.

The shots that came from the left and right sides of the road caused injury to six people, including a US citizen, James Lochart, and several police officers.

James Lochart was hurt in his left eye after a piece of glass hit it. Second Brigadier Budi S meanwhile suffered a shot wound on his left arm, Second Brigadier EP Supriadi on his left shin, First Brigadier Abdullah was hurt by shrapnel on his left temple while First Brigadier Sukarti and Cindi Alifandi Mokodompit were injured by shrapnel on their thighs.