Black day for military, seven soldiers dead

Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Lhokseumawe, Aceh

Just hours after claiming to have made significant progress in its operation to crush the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), the Indonesian Military (TNI) lost seven soldiers during a clash in Matang Kumbang, Bireun regency, Aceh, on Monday.

It was the highest number of casualties the TNI has suffered in one single incident so far in the province, and comes as the offensive entered its fourth week.

According to the Military, the soldiers died pursuing rebels who ambushed their convoy of three trucks carrying around 20 soldiers from the first Strike Force Detachment.

In addition, six other soldiers and one officer from the police's paramilitary Mobil Brigade (Brimob) were injured in the gunfight, which lasted for about three hours. The Military said five rebels were also killed in the incident.

"This is our biggest loss so far in terms of casualties suffered in a battle," said Aceh Military Operation Commander Brig. Gen. Bambang Darmono, who described the troops as "heroic".

"They (the soldiers) could have fled the ambush. But they didn't, they went out to fight."

The rebels first attacked the convoy with a hand grenade, which hit the first truck, said Bambang during a press conference on Tuesday.

He said the soldiers immediately pursued the attackers, and spotted them at the top of a hill, where they had taken up position.

Bambang said that some of the soldiers flanked the rebels from the right so they could fire at them from two sides.

Showing a video of the site where the battle occurred, he said the GAM rebels clearly had topographical advantage on their side. The soldiers had to fight their way up the hill, meaning the rebels had a clear field of fire at them.

The first three soldiers died as they reached the top of the hill, while four others died trying to recover the bodies of the dead and evacuate the wounded. The seven who died were Lt. Karno, Second Pvt. Apri, First Pvt. Askar Badu, Second Pvt Bian S. Tago, Second Pvt. Adam Nur, Second Pvt. Yafet Hermisa and First Pvt. Happy Sasinggih.

Bambang said that some of the attackers were members of GAM's female military wing, Inong Balee. He suspected that most of them were still in the Matang Kumbang area.

In another related development, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the government would ban foreigners, whether tourists, activists or journalists, from the province as their presence there could disrupt the military operation and put their lives in danger.

"This ban is urgent to avoid any foreign victims in the province, and to help make the military operation a success," he said on a visit to Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Tuesday.

A German tourist was shot dead and his wife was injured while camping on a beach in Lhok Gayo village, Aceh Jaya regency, last Wednesday.

Meanwhile, martial law administrator Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya called on all staff of the Geneva-based Henry Dunant Centre (HDC), who helped monitor the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed on Dec. 9, 2002, to leave the province as their presence was no longer needed to mediate between the two conflicting sides.

"So far the HDC staff are still in Aceh, but we expect that they will leave the province immediately," martial law administration spokesman Col. Ditya Soedarsono said in Banda Aceh.