Five rebels killed in armed clashes in Aceh

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Security personnel were engaged in two separate gunfights with members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Pidie and Bireun regencies on Tuesday morning, leaving at least five rebels dead and five soldiers injured.

The clashes resulted from the TNI campaign to capture GAM Commander Tengku Abdullah Syafi'ie which began on Sunday. The rebel leader is accused of organizing a series of ambushes on the military.

A GAM spokesman recently told Serambi Indonesia local daily that Abdullah was in hiding in the northern part of the restive province. Other sources said Abdullah was residing in Pidie, dubbed one of the armed group's strongholds.

In Pidie, the exchange of fire lasted almost three hours in Glumpang Putong village in Meureudu district, four kilometers from the highway linking Banda Aceh and Medan.

A truck and a pickup truck belonging to the military were destroyed by a grenade blast during the attack waged by some 20 armed rebels.

According to Pidie Military chief Lt. Col. Iskandar M.S., five military personnel injured in the gunfight were being treated at Lilawangsa Military Hospital in Lhokseumawe.

The injured were identified as First Lt. Jarot Edi Purwanto, Pvt. Yesias, Pvt. Amiluddin, Pvt. I Gede Astama and Second Corporal Toib.

Iskandar claimed that two GAM members were shot dead in the fray. "We continue to lay siege to several GAM posts here," Iskandar said.

Locals said two residents, identified as M. Husein, 35 and Syamaun Achmad, 38, were missing after the unrest. Glumpang Putong village chief Abdul Wahab Gantoe, 58, was reportedly beaten by troops for trying to flee the area.

"The soldiers were upset by Abdul's reluctance to protect his people during the clash," a local said.

Abdul was treated at the Meureudu community health post.

Three hours later, a group of Police Mobile Brigade officers were attacked by six armed rebels riding three motorbikes in Pulo Lawang village in Jeumpa district, Bireun regency.

"Three rebels were killed in the gunfight while three others escaped to the jungle," North Aceh Police chief Lt. Col. Syafei Aksal said. Two of the three were identified as Amiruddin Daud, one of GAM's trainers, and Sudirman, but the third corpse was not identified.

Police seized an AK 47 semiautomatic rifle, a homemade gun and two Honda GL Pro motorbikes from the rebels.

Separately, hundreds of villagers in the Jiemjiem area in Pidie district fled into the jungle and nearby mosques on Tuesday after some 200 security personnel launched a sweep of a rebel camp there earlier on Monday.

In Banda Aceh, a group of 44 humanitarian volunteers continued their hunger strike on Tuesday for a fourth successive day. The protesters demanded a security guarantee in carrying out their humanitarian activities.

Aceh Police chief Brig. Gen. Bachrumsyah Kasman said in his visit to the group on Tuesday that he shared their concern, but could not comply with their demand.

"We cannot even guarantee the safety of our members in the field," he said. (50/51/edt)