Five killed, two hurt in two days of violence in Aceh

Five killed, two hurt in two days of violence in Aceh

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: At least five people were killed in two days of sporadic attacks in the province which included the bombing of the Aceh deputy police chief's residence.

The escalating violence, which police claim are being perpetrated by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels, remains unabated despite the extension of the humanitarian pause on Sept. 2.

The attack on the residence of Sr. Supt. Teuku Ashikin on Tuesday evening caused no fatalities but shattered the rear windows and damaged the garage.

Aceh Besar Police precinct chief Supt. Sayed Husaini said the cause of the explosion was a homemade bomb which had been planted in the Aceh deputy police chief's home on Jl. Simpang Tiga, some 3 kilometers southeast of Banda Aceh.

A 150-meter long electric wire was found behind the house, allegedly used to detonate the bomb.

Sayed claimed that police have identified the perpetrators but he refused to disclose their identities.

The bombing follows the trend of attacks being made on homes of senior officers as seven hours earlier two armed civilians threw a grenade at the house of North Aceh Police chief Supt. Abadan Bangko.

North Aceh GAM leader Abu Sofyan Daud admitted that GAM was responsible for the attack which was launched following the police's refusal to withdraw the Mobile Brigade forces probing GAM headquarters in Sawang and Nisam districts.

Separately in Bandung, West Java, National Police chief Gen. Roesdihardjo regretted the attack on Abadan's house.

"We've agreed to uphold the humanitarian pause and we expected all parties involved to respect it as the pause is for the interest of all parties," he said after witnessing the transfer of duty from Insp. Gen. Adang Daradjatun to Insp. Gen. Yun Mulyana as West Java Police chief.

While the bomb attacks did not result in any fatalities, separate attacks across the province claimed five lives.

Head of the United Development Party faction at the North Aceh regency council, Tengku Ilyas Ibrahim, was shot dead in a mafia- style killing in his house at Meuria Arun village in Syamtalira Arun district, on Tuesday night.

"When Ibrahim answered the door and an unidentified man shot him three times," police spokesman Supt. Kusbini said on Wednesday.

Separately, Aceh Police chief Brig. Gen. Doddy Sumantyawan said an officer at the Darussalam Police subprecinct, Chief Pvt. Umar Yahya, was also shot dead in front of his home in Mireuek Taman village, Aceh Besar.

According to Doddy, the motive of the attack was revenge, following a police raid on GAM headquarters on Monday.

In West Aceh, a separatist rebel, identified as Faridi Purba, was killed in a gunfight when GAM attacked the Lamno Police subprecinct.

On Tuesday, North Aceh Military Command chief Lt. Col. Suyatno said GAM members also attacked one of three truckloads of military personnel escorting a vehicle carrying heavy equipment belonging to the Exxon-Mobil oil and gas company in Simpang Beurandang, North Aceh. Two military officers were killed and another two injured in the attack. (25/50/lup)