Indonesian officials have described it as the "worst attack" in the region in recent memory. The workers were building roads and bridges to spur economic development in Indonesia's most impoverished region.
For decades, Papuan activists have called for independence from IndonesiaImage: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Weda
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Indonesian security services have launched an operation targeting separatists in the province of Papua after 31 construction workers were shot dead, authorities said on Tuesday.
"This is the worst attack launched by the armed criminal group recently amid intensified development by the government," Papua police spokesman Suryadi Diaz told The Associated Press.
Police are trying to recover the bodies, but Diaz said the separatists had scattered them throughout the district, which is known as a rebel stronghold.
The workers were employed by the state-owned construction company Istaka Karya as part of a government-sponsored infrastructure project aimed at fostering economic development in the region.
Indonesian Public Workers Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said work stemming from the infrastructure project would be "suspended given this incident."
The region has seen bouts of deadly violence erupt between authorities and rebels for yearsImage: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Paereng
Half a century of conflict
The province is home to a low-intensity conflict between Papua rebels fighting for independence and government forces.
The former Dutch colony declared independence in 1961, but two years later was occupied by Indonesian forces. Papua separatists launched an insurgency following a controversial UN-backed referendum in 1969 that saw the province formally annexed by Indonesia.
Indonesia has maintained a strong grip on the mineral-rich province, with human rights groups criticizing the government for maintaining tight restrictions on access and press coverage.
The murders come days after Papua separatists celebrated what they describe as their Independence Day on December 1.
The Caucasus to the Koreas: A world of frozen conflicts
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Eastern Ukraine/Crimea
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Korean Peninsula
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Cyprus
A 1974 invasion by Turkey in response to a coup attempt to join the island with Greece split the island between the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus in the ethnically Greek south. The two communities' leaders are engaged in complicated reunification talks. Both sides have expressed hope for a settlement this year.
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Nagorno-Karabakh
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Western Sahara
Morocco annexed Western Sahara after colonial power Spain withdrew in 1975, setting off a conflict with the Polisario Front, which demands self-determination. In 1991, a UN-brokered ceasefire put a halt to fighting. However, a promised referendum on self-determination has failed to materialize, threatening to upend a shaky peace.
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Kashmir
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, which have fought two wars over the predominantly Muslim region. India accuses Pakistan of arming rebels fighting for independence or union with Pakistan. The emotionally charged issue is especially dangerous given that both countries have nuclear weapons.
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Trans-Dniester
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