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)