Jakarta – Indonesia's military police have failed to identify any soldiers who opened fire during a student protest in Jakarta three months ago in which 13 people were killed, an official said Monday.

"Up till now the military police have not been able to find the shooters in the Semanggi incident," military police chief Major General Djasri Missin told a press conference.

He said that during a three-month inquiry military police had run ballistics tests on bullet fragments, some pulled out of the 13 victims killed near the Semanggi intersection in South Jakarta on November 13.

Hospitals, student and rights groups put the death toll at 13 and said seven of the victims were students. Missin, without explanation, put the number of deaths at eight – five students and three others.

The military has investigated 378 weapons out of the 920 used by the 30 companies of men from the military stationed around the area on the night, now known as "Black Friday," he said.

The students were protesting against a special session of the country's highest legislative council that was ruling on revising election laws before the first general elections since the resignation of president Suharto in May 1998.

The students charged that the members of the council were supporters of Suharto and unfit to rule on the political future of the nation.

Missin said the military police inquiry had run into dead ends from its initial leads but the investigation was continuing.

Missin also could not confirm earlier theories suggesting that hidden sharpshooters from outside the military may have shot the victims. "I have not yet been able to confirm whether the shots came from security members or from outside [the military]," he added.