GAM rebel among bombing victims
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Lhokseumawe
An investigation by a forensics team and bomb squad have provided the police with evidence that a Free Aceh Movement (GAM) member was behind the New Year's Eve blast in the province, which killed 10 people.
The police, however, remained cautious on Monday as to whether the attack was the work of a suicide bomber.
"We have identified a body ... as Syaiful Amri Achmad, 25, who was an active GAM member. He had been on the East Aceh Police's wanted list for a long time," said National Police deputy spokesman Brig. Gen. Soenarko Danu Ardanto.
He said police records showed that Syaiful had been active in many GAM attacks over the last few years, but did not disclose Syaiful's role in the operations.
"Although Syaiful died in the blast and we have strong suspicions that he was the actor or one of the actors (of the bombing), we can't conclude as yet that the incident was a suicide bombing," said Soenarko.
The blast occurred at a New Year's Eve music concert in Peureulak, East Aceh. At least 10 people were killed, including infants, and dozens of others were injured.
Local security authorities said the bomb was homemade and quite similar to those used by GAM. Investigators from National Police Headquarters were sent to examine the materials used in the bomb and to determine the perpetrators.
No suicide bombings have thus far been linked to GAM's struggle for an independent Aceh.
GAM East Aceh spokesperson Teungku Mansoor confirmed on Monday that Syaiful was a member of its armed wing, but said he had been captured by the Indonesian Military (TNI) before the bombing.
"He was arrested by TNI troops on Jl. Medan, Banda Aceh, on Dec. 28, 2003. He has a red-and-white ID under the name of Abdullah Amir," Mansoor told The Jakarta Post, referring to the government-issued Acehnese IDs to distinguish between GAM members and civilians.
"The blast took place on New Year's Eve, so it is impossible that he could have perpetrated the bombing when he was detained by the TNI. I think the TNI forced him to do that to discredit us."
Meanwhile, TNI personnel Second Private Fitiansyah was killed on Monday in an exchange of fire with GAM rebels in East Aceh.
"The incident occurred in Ulee Gajah, East Aceh. Fitiansyah's body has been flown to his hometown, Makassar," Aceh military operation spokesman Lt. Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki said.
On the same day, the TNI-police joint operation discovered a cache of dozens of arms belonging to GAM in Tingkeum, Simpang Ulim, East Aceh. Earlier, the operation had found heavy artillery, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.
Security troops also confiscated 10 homemade bombs, five mortars, two kilograms of sulfur and communication devices.
Yani said the Tingkeum arms cache was the biggest find so far in terms of the amount and types of weaponry.
In a separate location in North Aceh, the TNI found another homemade bomb weighing 60 kilograms and measuring 50 centimeters long. Yani said GAM used such explosives to destroy military vehicles.
In a related development, House of Representatives speaker Akbar Tandjung called for an assessment of conditions in Aceh to ensure the general elections there could proceed safely and peacefully despite the martial law.