Gunmen attack Indonesian military chopper in Papua

JAYAPURA, Indonesia (AP) - Unidentified gunmen shot at an Indonesian military helicopter in the restive province of Papua on Friday as the crew was trying to evacuate the bodies of eight soldiers killed in attacks the day before.

Three crew members were wounded in Friday's attack on the Super Puma helicopter, which was forced to abort its mission and rush the injured to a hospital, said Lt Col Jansen Simanjuntak, an army spokesman.

Eight soldiers were killed in two separate attacks in the area on Thursday. The area is a stronghold of separatists who have battled Indonesian rule in the impoverished region for more than 40 years.

In the deadliest attack Thursday, about 20 assailants armed with guns and machetes attacked a group of soldiers walking to Ilaga Airport in Puncak district to collect communication equipment, killing seven, Simanjuntak said.