Eight more die in Aceh violence
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh
Eight people were killed in a series of violence incidents in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province over the weekend, the military and the GAM separatist group both said on Sunday.
In the latest incident, the military said suspected members of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) ambushed a car carrying soldiers, killing a junior military officer.
"A local military subdistrict chief, Capt. Chairul Aqsa, and six of his men were riding in a van on Sunday when 15 armed men ambushed them in Alue Ketapang, North Aceh," said Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman in the troubled province Maj. Zaenal Muttaqin.
Chairul was killed, while his men were wounded, the officer said.
Meanwhile, the police's elite Mobile Brigade (Brimob) shot dead two suspected GAM members in an armed clash on Saturday in Tanjong Selamat, some eight kilometers north of the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, a provincial police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Dade Achmad said.
He said the two victims were believed to have been involved in the murder of the rector of the state Syiah Kuala University, Dayan Dawood, last year.
Local GAM spokesman T. Muksalmina said the two were not rebels but civilians. He also denied the police's accusation that GAM was responsible for Dawood's death.
Earlier on Friday, another GAM member was shot dead during a clash between soldiers and rebels in the Indrapuri area of Aceh Besar regency, Muttaqin said. Muksalmina confirmed that the victim was a GAM member.
Muttaqin said troops also shot dead a rebel in a clash in Alue Punti, East Aceh regency, on Friday. A soldier was wounded in the incident.
In West Aceh, local GAM spokesman Darwin Djeunieb said troops conducting an anti-rebel operation in Rheum Barat killed two civilians.
Another civilian was shot dead during a military operation in the Panga area of West Aceh on Friday, local GAM commander Abu Arafah said.
Muttaqin could not confirm the three latest fatalities.
GAM has been fighting for an independent state in Aceh since 1976. More than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in the conflict, including over 400 this year.