Indonesia military says 14 Papuan separatists killed in village battle

Indonesia's military said it killed 14 Papuan fighters during an operation to free a village from the control of separatists in the restive province this week, and said residents had welcomed the soldiers. Troops moved toward the village of Soanggama on Tuesday night and a firefight with a group of about 30 separatists broke out early on Wednesday morning, local military official Iwan Dwi Prihartono said in a statement. He said it took until midday for the soldiers to secure the village, with 14 separatist fighters dead and the others fleeing into a nearby forest and leaving weapons and equipment behind. "The military was successful in killing 14 people," Iwan said. The commander of the operation, Major General Lucky Avianto,...