Fighting unabated in troubled Aceh

Fighting unabated in troubled Aceh

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Hopes of an end to the conflict in Aceh
are quickly fading as continued clashes over the weekend brought
the number of dead to 15 since the signing of an accord between
the government and the Free Aceh Movement on May 12.

On Saturday and Sunday Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels engaged
in gun battles with police forces.

A Mobile Brigade (Brimob) policeman Pvt. Prayitno was killed
on Saturday when armed men ambushed a police patrol just outside
the town of Jantho in the Aceh Besar regency, 60 kilometers east
of Banda Aceh, local police chief Lt. Col. Sayed Husaini said.

Gunfights between troops and rebels were also reported in the
Selimun area of Jantho on Sunday, but no immediate casualties
were reported.

Separatist rebels on Sunday claimed responsibility for the
death of the policeman saying that it was a retaliatory attack
over the deaths of eight "civilians" killed in a clash on
Thursday.

"That was just a warning over the violation of the peace
agreement," Ayah Muni, a GAM spokesman in Aceh Besar, said in a
telephone interview.

Ayah was referring to the Joint Understanding for a
Humanitarian Pause signed in Switzerland.

The accord is not due to officially come into effect till June
2.

Earlier on Thursday, eight alleged rebels were found dead
following an overnight armed clash with police in the North Aceh
village of Hagu Barat Laut, some two kilometers west of the
regency's main town of Lhokseumawe.

North Aceh Police chief Lt. Col. Syafei Aksal claimed on
Saturday that armed rebels ambushed a police unit with grenades
on Wednesday at around 11 p.m.

The dead were most likely a result of the ensuing combat.

Witnesses claim that the eight dead were found in a house in
the village, where the grenades were believed to have been tossed
from.

In another incident on Saturday, soldiers shot dead a 30-year-
old alleged rebel named Bustaman in Blang Baro village, Teunom,
West Aceh, about 170 kilometers southeast of Banda Aceh, local
military chief Lt. Col. Widhagdo said.

"Two military units were involved in a gunfight with rebels,
and Bustaman was one of them," Widhagdo said.

Abu Tausi, a GAM spokesman for Teunom area, however claimed
that Bustaman was only a civilian. "He was scared and fled the
scene when soldiers shot at him," Abu said.

So far at least 399 people have died this year, of which 30
are soldiers or policemen.

Material losses have also been large. Some 300 school
buildings have been burned down by unidentified gunmen in the
past five months. (50/edt)