Tiarma Siboro and Nethy Dharma Somba, Jakarta/Papua – Security authorities suspect "outside elements" may have been involved in Monday's deadly attack on a military post in Papua, with the hunt continuing for the killers.

The government said in Jakarta that it would not send reinforcements to Papua, but would intensify intelligence operations to arrest armed civilians blamed for the incident in which four people, including two soldiers, died in Wembi village, Keerom regency.

"We haven't decided to deploy more troops to Papua because, for now, we will step up intelligence operations to find the mastermind of the attack," Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS said Tuesday after chairing a meeting on the issue.

Widodo said security forces identified the separatist Free Papuan Movement (OPM) as being behind the incident. He added, however, that "outside elements probably could have supported the act".

He did not identify the latter, but noted last month's violent rally near the Cendrawasih University campus in Abepura, as well as the recent awarding of visas by the Australian administration to 42 asylum seekers from Papua.

Also at the meeting were Indonesian Military commander Air Chief Marshall Djoko Suyanto, chief of the State Intelligence Agency Maj. Gen. (ret) Sjamsir Siregar, secretary-general of the Defense Ministry Lt. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Papua acting governor Sodjuangan Situmorang.

Worried health-care students from Jayapura had their work experience program cut short Tuesday after witnessing the attack.

A representative of Jayapura polytechnic administration, Chrisman Silitonga, said the decision to pull hundreds of students from the area came at the request of parents and students following the violence in Wembi.

"The students have been traumatized by the experience of the violent clash. Initially, we planned to only halt the program in Wembi village, but due to security fears, we decided to bring all 190 students back to Jayapura from across Keerom regency," Silitonga told reporters on Tuesday.

The three-week-long health service program provided for locals in Keerom regency was scheduled to end April 30.

Keerom Police chief Sr. Comr. Robert Kennedy said people were going about their daily activities and the situation was back to normal.

Monday's violence began when a group of about 30 armed men attacked soldiers monitoring a health program in Wembi. Denaweng Diaz Allocmabin, among the group of 22 students helping out at the health center, said the incident happened at midday as the students ate lunch.

"Suddenly I heard the sound of gunfire, followed by a horrible scene. It was a soldier, with wounds all across his body, running through the military post, while some men wielding machetes chased after him. The soldier fell to the ground.

"Soon after that, another soldier whose arm had been cut off ran across the post. In trying to save his life, he attempted to reach a bathroom, but he died before he got there," Diaz said.

The military post is located about 15 meters from the local health center.

"I saw the attackers of about 20 armed men brandishing axes, arrows, machetes and other sharp weapons," Diaz added. "Just as soon as they attacked the military post, they fled and disappeared."

The bodies of First Sgt. Achmad Basori and First Pvt. Sukarno from the 509th battalion of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command were flown to Lampung and Jombang respectively to be laid to rest.

The clash also claimed the lives of two of the attackers. They were identified as Tinus Wenda and Edi Pagawak. Their bodies were buried at Arso public cemetery.

Meanwhile, another soldier, Second Corporal Sugihardjo, and a student, Joseph Timisela, suffered serious wounds. They are undergoing treatment at local hospitals.