JAKARTA, Aug 31: Two Americans were shot dead and seven wounded on Saturday when unidentified gunmen opened fire near the giant American-owned Freeport mine in Indonesia’s Papua province, officials said.

A US embassy spokesman confirmed the deaths and said the wounded were receiving treatment.

The Papua police chief, Brigadier General Made Pastika, said an Indonesian also died in what he called an ambush.

“There are three that died. Two expatriates and one Indonesian,” he said. “A car went by and was shot.”

There have been no arrests but the embassy spokesperson said US officials have contacted Indonesia’s top security minister, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda.

“They promised, they will try, to find those who are responsible and apprehend them,” the spokesperson said.

The attack happened about halfway between the regional centre of Timika and the Freeport copper and gold mine, the police chief said.

The American-owned Freeport operation is one of the largest in the world.

Pastika said his deputy would head to the scene on Sunday.

The mine is one of the most tightly guarded facilities in Indonesia. Along with the ExxonMobil natural gas operations in western Aceh province, the Freeport mine is considered by Jakarta to be a strategic national asset and is well protected by government soldiers.—AFP