GAM rebel among bombing victims

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.