150 civilians killed in Aceh war<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
At least 150 civilians have died, 80 have been wounded, and
\nanother 71 have gone missing since the government launched the
\nintegrated operation in the troubled province of Aceh on May 19,
\nauthorities say.<\/p>\n
Aside from civilian casualties, 325 members of separatist Free
\nAceh Movement (GAM), 28 government troops, and four police
\npersonnel have been killed in the campaign aimed at flushing out
\nGAM rebels in the resource-rich province.<\/p>\n
Martial law administration spokesman Col. Ditya Soedarsono
\nsaid on Friday that 55 members of the Indonesian Military (TNI)
\nand 15 police personnel were also wounded, while 258 GAM members
\nwere arrested, 256 of them had surrendered to the authorities.<\/p>\n
Besides human casualties, police also said on Friday that 535
\nschool buildings had been burned, with the last arson attack
\noccurring on July 2 at three schools in North Aceh.<\/p>\n
At least 224 houses, 11 offices, three public facilities, two
\nvital facilities, five bridges, two motorcycles and 62 cars have
\nalso been set on fire.<\/p>\n
The present conflict began on May 19 when the government
\nlaunched a military operation to crack down on the secessionist
\nGAM, which has long been fighting for separation from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, on Friday, Second Pvt. Achmad Syarifuddin, a TNI
\nsoldier with the 18th Trisula Infantry Brigade, is believed to
\nhave died of poisoning in Sidomulyo area, Nisam district in North
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
\"Achmad was suffering from high fever, vomiting and diarrhea
\nafter he consumed water from a well belonging to a local here.
\nBefore that, he also ate nutmeg fruit in the area,\" the commander
\nof Malang's (East Java) Trisula Brigade Lt. Col. Deddy Kusmayadi
\ntold reporters at his command post in Blang Rantau area, Sawang
\ndistrict.<\/p>\n
He was admitted to a nearby military medical clinic, but died
\non his way to the clinic.<\/p>\n
A post mortem examination has provided evidence that Achmad
\nwas poisoned.<\/p>\n
Deddy said a similar case also befell one of his subordinates
\nrecently, who died two days after he drank coffee that was
\noffered by a local resident in the area.<\/p>\n
TNI accused GAM of deliberately using poison in their
\nstruggle against the TNI. Deddy said the TNI had found a document
\nin the Nisam district, which revealed that GAM had a poison
\nexpert named Elyas Rachman, who had died in a gun contact with
\nTNI recently.<\/p>\n
In Lhokseumawe, the trial of three TNI soldiers accused of
\nraping four women was adjourned until Tuesday next week due to
\ntechnical reasons, said a Lhokseumawe state court official.<\/p>\n
Muhifuddin, a Lhokseumawe court official, said two military
\nofficers dropped by his office on Thursday afternoon, telling a
\ncourt official that the military court had canceled a plan to use
\nthe Lhokseumawe court on Friday morning.<\/p>\n
The military officers said the TNI was not ready to commence
\nthe trial.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/150-civilians-killed-in-aceh-war-1447893297",
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