Boy accidentally shot died by troops in Aceh: Mother

Boy accidentally shot died by troops in Aceh: Mother

Agence France-Presse, Banda Aceh

Indonesian troops hunting separatist rebels in the restive
province of Aceh mistakenly shot dead a teenager and wounded his
younger brother, the victims' mother said Thursday.

Darwati, from Leubu Lapehan in Bireuen district, said her
oldest son Muntasir, 17, was shot dead by troops on Wednesday and
a younger son, Harmadi, 14, was wounded.

The 40-year-old said she, her husband Suleiman, 60, and their
three sons were at their wood and bamboo hut when some 20
soldiers encircled the house and began firing shots.

The soldiers shouted that they should leave the house. They
came out and lay on the ground, Darwati said.

More shots were fired, only halting after Darwati shouted that
her son Harmadi was wounded. They discovered later that Muntasir
was killed by a bullet that hit him in the back.

"I do not know who shot them, there was only TNI (Indonesian
armed forces) personnel there," Darwati said.

The soldiers took the two boys to hospital and later
transferred the injured teenager to the provincial capital, Banda
Aceh.

"They said that they had been looking for a vacant house which
actually lies at the back of my own house, because they said
there were GAM members hiding there," Darwati said.

However Aceh military spokesman Lt.Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki in a
statement said that the only deaths in Bireuen on Wednesday were
those of two suspected rebels, aged 18 and 19, who were shot
during a clash.

There were nine other incidents of violence across Aceh on
Tuesday and Wednesday, which together left five rebels dead with
two others captured alive, he said. One rebel also surrendered to
authorities in Pidie on Tuesday and weapons were seized.

The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has been fighting for
independence since 1976. In May the government launched an all-
out offensive to rid the province of the separatist group.
The military says more than 1,200 guerrillas have been killed
since then and more than 2,000 others have been captured or
surrendered.

Some analysts question whether the toll for the rebel dead
includes civilians, pointing out that relatively few weapons have
been captured.