Fresh violence kills two soldiers

Fresh violence kills two soldiers

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): It was business as usual after last
weekend's peaceful rally when two military soldiers were killed
and a police officer injured during the latest outbreak of
violence in strife-torn Aceh, a police officer said on Monday.

Police special operation Cinta Meunasah spokesman Sr. Supt.
Kusbini Imbar said that apart from a grenade attack that wounded
Padang Tiji Police Subprecinct chief Sgt. Maj. Amir Husein, the
security situation in the province was marked by the death of
First Sgt. Hendrian Hafda after a fatal misunderstanding.

Kusbini said Army soldier Hendrian was killed in his burning
car after a group of Mobile Brigade police officers fired shots
at it on Jl. T. Nyak Makam here on Sunday evening when he evaded
a security check.

Hendrian's relative, Evianti, and two other passengers
survived the incident.

Aceh Police chief Brig. Gen. Chaerul R. Rasyidi has urged the
police inspectorate to arrest the three officers who committed
the shooting.

A military source also claimed to have found the body of an
unidentified soldier in Lameu village, Sakti district in the
Pidie regency, who had allegedly been killed by separatist
rebels. Kusbini, however, would not confirm the report.

The attack on the residence of officer Amir took place on
Monday morning. The house is located only 15 meters away from the
Padang Tiji subprecinct office.

"Amir was about to leave his house for his office when a group
of armed rebels threw a grenade at him," he added.

Amir was rushed to the Sigli General Hospital and remained in
critical condition as of Monday evening.

Residents of Padang Tiji district, some 100 kilometers east of
Banda Aceh, said they heard a strong explosion and later found
Amir lying bleeding on the street in front of his house.

Separately, spokesman for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) Abu
Razak denied his group's responsibility for the attack. But a man
who claimed to be a member of GAM, Tengku Ishar, confirmed the
attack to The Jakarta Post, saying it was in retaliation for the
police's use of violence while conducting security checks on
civilian residents.

A similar grenade attack by armed rebels also occurred at the
subdistrict military command in Ule Glee village, Bandar Dua
district, in Pidie, but no fatalities were reported.

In a related development, Taufik Abda, a member of the
committee organizing Saturday's mass gathering for peace (SIRA
RAKAN) said another program related to the rally would be held in
the Darussalam complex in Banda Aceh on Tuesday.

Taufik said the result from a polling on the referendum in the
province would be announced during the event. Earlier this month
2 million copies of ballots were distributed across the province,
asking people to choose between independence and remaining a part
of Indonesia. (50/51/lup)