A security guard was shot dead Sunday outside a mine in Papua operated by US copper and gold mining behemoth Freeport, a day after an Australian worker was killed in an ambush there.

Sunday's attack saw the assailants open fire at vehicles carrying security officers, including officers from the police's Mobile Brigade and anti-terror unit, as well as Freeport security guards.

One security guard, identified as Markus Rattealo, was killed in the incident, and five others injured, including police officers.

The police fired back, and an exchange of fire ensued, which lasted several hours.

Workers at the huge Grasberg mine were prevented from leaving for the Kuala Kencana housing complex or the town of Timika by the gunfight.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Sulistyo Ishak confirmed there had been an exchange of fire, and said police had deployed a reinforcement team consisting of personnel from the Timika Police, Papua Police force and the National Police.

"After the incident, our counterterror unit, Densus 88, engaged in a skirmish with an unknown number of gunmen," Ishak said as quoted by state news agency Antara.

Sunday's attack occurred at the Mile 51 mark in Kuala Kencana district, near the site where police were investigating the fatal shooting a day earlier of a 29-year-old Australian working for the company.

Drew Nicholas Grant was shot dead while travelling in a vehicle at Mile 53.

Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. F.X. Bagus Ekodanto said police had sent reinforcements to Mimika, bringing to 420 the total number of officers on hand to secure the area, following the fatal shooting.

As many as 120 of the 420 officers were deployed Saturday night from the National Police headquarters in Jakarta.

For security reasons, the police have built posts in the area and they will escort all vehicles coming down from Freeport's mines to the Kuala Kencana housing complex or the town of Timika, as well as on the journey in.

The police are also guarding housing complexes in Kuala Kencana district and Tembagapura, where expatriates working for Freeport live.

Bagus said the police would continue to hunt down the attackers, whom he suspected came from rebel camps.

However, Bagus had previously said the gun used to kill Grant was a standard issue firearm used by the police and the military.

Police found three empty shells at the crime scene, he said.

He added the National Police were working with the Australian police to begin investigating the scene on Sunday.

Bagus said police had found the vehicle that Grant was travelling in had been shot from both left and right sides of the road by the gunmen.

He added police were still investigating how the group had entered the restricted area.

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