GAM kills two police

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: Armed rebels launched separate attacks in North Aceh on Wednesday evening, leaving three people dead and three others injured, a police officer said on Thursday.

North Aceh Police chief Supt. Abadan Bangko said two police officers, Sgt. Sulaiman and Sgt. Zulkarnaen from the Tanah Pasir and Kutamakmur police subprecincts, respectively, were among the fatalities. Abadan said the two sergeants were off duty when they were gunned down.

Separatist rebels also killed Usman Sarong, a resident of Pulo Blang Tunong village, Syamtalira Bayu district, Abadan said. The motive for the murder remains unknown.

Another police officer, a local legislator and a military soldier were injured in the attacks.

In a related development, the deputy chief of the special police operation Cinta Meunasah, Supt. Yatim Suyatmo, said on Thursday the police had questioned four security guards at oil and gas company Exxon Mobil as part of their investigations into last Tuesday's theft of explosives from the company's warehouse.

The guards, identified as Rusli Asnawi, Ghazali Hasan, Nurdin M.D. and Zulkifli, were overpowered and tied up by the some 20 armed burglars who made off with 16,000 packets of explosives. (50/lup)