One senior GAM leader killed: TNI<\/p>\n
Teuku Agam Muzakir
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nLhokseumawe, Aceh<\/p>\n
Government troops claimed on Wednesday that they have killed one
\nsenior leader of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM).<\/p>\n
Indonesian Military (TNI) Operation Spokesman Lt. Col. Achmad
\nYani Basuki said Tengku Jailani died from severe blood loss late
\non Tuesday, in a separate incident hours after government troops
\nhad engaged in armed combat with the rebels on the slope of
\nGeulegoh mountain, Bireuen regency.<\/p>\n
Jailani's wife Suryati, 27, also died of the same cause. The
\ncouple's nine-year-old child survived the gunfight.<\/p>\n
Tengku Jailani, 30, who allegedly admitted he was the GAM
\ngovernor of Linge district in Central Aceh, is the first senior
\nrebel to be killed since the military operation started on May
\n19.<\/p>\n
However, no independent source has yet confirmed the report.<\/p>\n
According to Yani, the gunfight began as soldiers of the
\nPandawa infantry battalion received a tip-off from local people
\nthat some 10 GAM rebels were seen wandering around the Geulegoh
\narea on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
A unit of troops deployed to the area, and a gunfight broke
\nout immediately after the soldiers arrived in the area.
\nOutnumbered by the government troops, the GAM rebels apparently
\nretreated quickly.<\/p>\n
The soldiers began combing the mountain slope in order flush
\nout any remaining GAM members, when a TNI soldier spotted three
\npeople fetching water from a river in the area -- one adult male,
\none adult female and one child.<\/p>\n
Suspicious that they were GAM members, the troops fired
\nwarning shots. The three turned and ran, and the soldiers shot at
\nthe two adults, hitting them.<\/p>\n
The two severely injured adults were then taken to a nearby
\nhospital for treatment.<\/p>\n
An investigation into the shooting revealed that the man was
\nTengku Jailani and the woman was his wife Suryati. It was also
\nfound that one bullet had pierced through the left side of
\nJailani's chest, while another had lodged into the right-hand
\nside of Suryati's chest.<\/p>\n
The troops seized a satellite phone and a notebook containing
\nthe names and cellular phone numbers of GAM leaders from Jailani,
\nalong with his identity card that declared he was a resident of
\nMedan, North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Finding the satellite cellular phone, the troops became
\nsuspicious that the wounded man was a GAM leader, and Jailani
\nadmitted later that he was one of GAM's governors. From Jailani,
\nthe troops also seized one GAM flag and a set of TNI uniform.<\/p>\n
The couple's child, whose gender is not known at this time,
\nhas apparently been taken into TNI custody.<\/p>\n
Yani said the TNI had also killed 18 GAM troops in separate
\ngunfights in Bireuen, Pidie and North Aceh regencies on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Separately, spokesman of Aceh martial law administrator Col.
\nDitya Sudarsono said on Wednesday in Banda Aceh that 897 GAM
\nmembers had been killed during the four-month operation.<\/p>\n
The TNI has seized 372 weapons from the separatists, while it
\nclaimed more than 1,800 other rebels had been arrested or had
\nsurrendered.<\/p>\n
The TNI and police together have lost 66 members.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, GAM spokesman Tengku Mansur denied reports that
\nprominent GAM leader Ishak Daud was still under siege as of
\nWednesday by TNI troops somewhere in Aceh.<\/p>\n
He told AFP that Ishak had fled and was now in a safe place.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/one-senior-gam-leader-killed-tni-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }