Jakarta – Hundreds of Indonesian police are trying to prevent further fighting between two warring Papuan tribes after three people were killed, and more than a dozen injured in remote Papua, police said.

Villagers from two different tribes began fighting with spears, arrows and traditional machetes early Friday after a woman from the Damal tribe was killed by an arrow, allegedly fired by a neighboring Dani tribesman, said police.

More than 100 riot police, or Brimob, as well as another 120 ordinary police were attempting to enforce a ceasefire between the two warring groups in Kwamki Lama district, Timika, not far from the giant Freeport gold and copper mine, a police spokesman said.

"We have tried to separate them, using Brimob, now we have one company of Brimob, and four (standard) police units on standby there," Kartono Wangsadisastra told AFP.

Police said they hoped to begin peace talks between the two tribes on Saturday. "We are calling in the traditional leaders in an effort to prevent any further conflict," said Wangsadisastra.

Friday's fighting killed three men, including a Papuan priest, and wounded 24 others, many seriously, added Wangsadisastra. "Lots of them (tribesmen) were seriously injured, because they were pierced by arrows," he said, adding they had been taken to Timika hospital.

Friday's battle between Dani and Damal tribesman was the second in as many months for villagers of Kwamki Lama. The death of a Dani child prompted a tribal war last month which killed nine people.

Papua is home to groups that traditionally engage in elaborate war rituals to solve disputes between clans or tribes. Conflicts can take days to be resolved, with each side taking turns to shoot arrows and throw spears.

According to tradition, a death should be avenged by another death or the killer's tribe must pay a hefty fine of prized pigs and hold a feast to seal the peace.