At least 600 army officers will help secure the working areas of the PT Freeport Indonesia mine in Timika, Papua, starting on September 2, following a number of armed attacks on the site.

Papua Regional Military Commander Maj. Gen. Ahmad Yani Nasution said that the National Police Chief had requested the military to deploy the army officers to the Freeport mine to secure the area.

He said that the officers anticipated security threats from separatist groups. Nasution said the officers will be posted at the mine until the situation is "totally secure."

But Nasution said the current security situation in Papua was fine. "The situation is Papua and West Papua is secure and under control," he said.

Amid a spate of roadside ambushes from gunmen at the site of the world's largest copper and gold mine over the last few months, employees of have started wearing flak jackets and helmets amid other safety measures, the company's spokesman said on Friday. (Antara, JG)