Jakarta – The Indonesian army announced Tuesday that it will replace its commander in Papua province amid allegations his troops killed two US teachers and a prominent politician.

Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon will be replaced as head of the Papuan regional command by his deputy, Brig. Gen. Nurdin Zaenal, an army spokesman said. The move is part of a major reshuffle in the Indonesian army which will affect 27 generals, said the spokesman, Brig. Gen. Ratyono.

Simbolon will be reassigned to the army's command in Jakarta, he said. Seven Indonesian soldiers are facing courts martial for the killing in November 2001 of Theys Eluay, who was a leading advocate of a referendum on self-determination for Papua, Indonesia's easternmost region.

Last August, unidentified gunmen ambushed a group of American teachers near a giant gold and copper mine run by US-based Freeport-Port McMoran in central Papua. Two Americans and an Indonesian were killed and eight Americans injured. The attack, widely believed to have been carried out by soldiers, was allegedly aimed at discrediting a Papuan separatist movement.

The incident has strained ties with Washington and prompted moves in the US Congress to ban military ties until those responsible are brought to justice. Ratyono described the reshuffle, which includes the heads of the military districts in Jakarta and Maluku – the scene of a three-year sectarian war that ended in 2002 – as "routine." But a senior officer at armed forces headquarters, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Simbolon was being replaced because of the "ongoing problems in Papua."