Military kills 11 more alleged rebels in Aceh

Military kills 11 more alleged rebels in Aceh

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Lhokseumawe/Denpasar

Armed clashes continued in many parts of Aceh province on Tuesday
despite the martial law administration's claim that the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) had been terminally weakened.

The latest incident occurred in Matang Rawa village, Baktiya
district, North Aceh, where a joint unit of soldiers and police
attacked a suspected GAM hideout.

Ten alleged rebels, including local GAM commander M. Kasim
alias Abu Kasim, were killed, while a marine, Second Sgt.
Mudiyono, was injured in the one-hour gunfight across the rice
fields.

Earlier on Monday, a unit from Airborne Battalion Team 4 led
by First Sgt. Abdul Hari ambushed about 20 armed GAM members in
the mountainous district of Kuta Makmur. One of the alleged GAM
members was killed.

The martial law administration has claimed that GAM now has
only 1,300 armed personnel left active. Before the offensive, GAM
was said to have 5,000 active rebels.

National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said in Denpasar,
Bali, on Tuesday that the number of intelligence officers in Aceh
would be increased to make the military operation more effective.

He said the intelligence officers would be tasked with mapping
out GAM bases after two months of the military operation.

He said both the military and the police would continue to
strengthen what he termed "the Acehnese people's fight" against
the separatist movement.

Da'i said that intelligence operatives would be also ordered
to look into reports that GAM leader Sofyan Dawood had fled to
Malaysia.

"It was just a one-sided report. I have not yet received any
confirmation from the Aceh Police," he added.