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Jakarta: An Indonesian soldier was killed in a gun battle with separatist rebels in the restive province of Papua as he guarded a building site, the military has said. A group of soldiers had been watching over the construction of a bridge in the remote Nduga district, where troops were also attacked last year. “It happened very quickly, a series of shots were fired from behind the bush. It was a hit-and-run style,” Papua military spokesman Muhammad Aidi said in a statement late Saturday. A soldier, Usman Hambelo, was hit by a bullet in his waist and died a few hours later, with a helicopter unable to evacuate him due to poor weather, Aidi added. (AFP)
