Deadly Freeport Grasberg copper/gold mine attacks kill two

A series of incidents at Freeport-McMoRan's massive Grasberg copper and gold mine turned deadly this weekend as two FCX contract employees were killed and several other persons injured.

RENO, NV - 

An Australian construction project manager and a security guard at Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold's Grasberg mine were shot and killed in separate incidents near the operation over the weekend.

Australian Drew Nicholas Grant, 29, was a new father who was trying to "set up a good steady future" for his wife and daughter when he was killed on his way to play golf.  Police said he was shot five times Saturday morning while the five other passengers in the Freeport vehicle were not injured.

On Sunday, Freeport security guard Markus Ratealo was shot and killed during an attack near the site where Grant had been killed. PT Freeport Indonesia said "shots were fired at two security vehicles, fatally wounding one contract security employee" while five others had minor injuries.

The ABC News reported that Australian Federal Police are now in Papua assisting in the investigation of the attack.

Some confusion currently exists as to whether the attacks were instigated by OPM Papuan separatist rebels or possibly the police or the military. The ABC Monday quoted "an Australian source from within Freeport who has worked with security services at the mine" who suspects "some degree of military or police involvement in the weekend's violence."

The source pointed out the mine security role of Indonesia's mobile police brigade Brimob, is under threat as Freeport is reportedly considering replacing them with private security contractors.

Freeport said police and members of Indonesia's anti-terrorism unit, Detachment 88, were on the scene. Company spokesman Mindo Pangaribuan said business has not been disrupted at the mine.

Meanwhile, a PT Freeport Indonesia employee bus was set on fire earlier in the week. Mimika police are still looking for the arsonists who burned the bus in a gold mining area in Tembagapura district, Mimika regency.  The Jakarta Post reported that the incident was preceded by the detonation of two explosives on the highway. None of the explosions caused any significant damage.

In 2002, two American schoolteachers were killed when their car came under attack at a Freeport facility. 

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