Three men standing trial for their roles in a deadly attack on the Tiaka oil field in Morowali district, Central Sulawesi, last August were on Wednesday sentenced to five months in prison.

The ruling by the district court in Palu, the provincial capital, was lighter than the six months sought by prosecutors.

The court ruled that the men, among 16 being tried in the case, were guilty of vandalism against the facilities at the oil field, which is jointly operated by Pertamina and Medco.

The attack occurred over several days starting on Aug. 20, when a group of about 30 men from Kolo Bawah village, armed with Molotov cocktails and machetes, demanded that the operators of the oil field make good on promises to improve the welfare of villagers.

Police deployed to the site shot dead two of the attackers and wounded six others. No officers were charged for shooting into the crowd.