A rebel commander in the Indonesian province of Papua denies involvement in an ambush near Jayapura that killed four people, saying such incidents were the work of the military.
The AAP reports the OPM Free Papua Movement commander in Keerom district outside the provincial capital, Lambert Pekikir, as saying the separatists would not randomly kill their own people.
Indonesian police were quick to blame the OPM rebels for the attack, saying a Morning Star independence flag had been found planted in the ground nearby.
Jayapura police chief Imam Setiawan said an investigation was under way into the attack.
The incident came ahead of a pro-independence protest planned in Jayapura.
