20,000 Lhokseumawe residents flee military raids for safety
20,000 Lhokseumawe residents flee military raids for safety
LHOKSEUMAWE, Aceh (JP): About 20,000 residents from three
districts here fled on Friday to nearby public buildings
following raids against separatist guerrillas by the joint-
military Crack Riot Troop (PPRM) task force.
People said they feared fresh violence following the fatal
clash at Peudada district between PPRM personnel and Free Aceh
separatist guerrillas on Tuesday.
Two PPRM members, two medical personnel and two transmigrants
were killed in Tuesday's violence.
Fleeing residents were from Peudada and nearby Jeumpa and
Samalanga districts.
The residents rushed to shelter in nearby mosques and high
school buildings.
About 450 families at Krueng Meusegop transmigration
resettlement area in Lhok Danoh village of Salamanga district
fled to buildings owned by the KNPI youth organization and the
North Aceh office of the Ministry of Education and Culture in
Lhokseumawe.
Transmigrant Sutrisno, 54, confirmed they decided to seek
refuge in the buildings due to fears of renewed violence.
Head of the local transmigration office Mahdi told reporters
that transmigrants themselves made the decision to flee.
An assistant to the North Aceh regent, Amiruddin Abdullah,
promised to assist the refugees with food and other basic needs.
The refugees said they would only be willing to return to
their homes if the security personnel could guarantee their
safety.
Raids by PPRM personnel in search of members of the Free Aceh
movement were conducted because of Tuesday's violence, the
residents said.
According to PPRM task force commander Col. Ridwan Karim, the
incident on Tuesday began when houses of transmigrants from Uleu
Keute in Peudada district were set on fire by rebels armed with
AK-47s.
Two transmigrants, identified as Yanto and Zulkifli, burned to
death in the fire.
In an effort to safeguard the people, PPRM dispatched a truck
of 100 personnel and medical staff. On the way to the site, the
team was sprayed by gunfire from the guerrillas, he said.
According to Ridwan, the guerrillas shot dead PPRM members
Second Sgt. Hendrik Silian from the Army and Pvt. second class
Dominggus VC Taufan as well as Dr. Fauzia, head of the Peudada
health center and her fellow staff member, Mustapha.
Eight other PPRM personnel, most of them holding senior rank,
and three other medical staff personnel remained in serious
condition in Lhokseumawe and Biereun hospitals, he said.
One of the injured, Peudada Police subprecinct chief Second
Lt. Naharuddin, is in critical condition with a gunshot wound to
the head. (47/01)