Military kills three GAM members in clash

Military kills three GAM members in clash

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): At least three alleged members of the
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist group were shot dead while
attempting to ambush an Indonesian Military (TNI) convoy in the
remote village of Uleerubek in North Aceh on Tuesday, a military
source has said.

Chief of North Aceh Military Command Lt. Col. Suyatno
confirmed the exchange of fire and said that one GAM member
managed to escape.

Suyatno identified the three alleged rebels as Idris Abubakar,
30, Nasrudin, 20 and Hermansyah, 26.

A GAM spokesman, Abu Said Anan, confirmed the attack and
fatalities on his side. Abu identified the three as Hamdani
Juned, Idris and Razali.

According to Suyatno, a number of TNI soldiers were searching
for a colleague who was reportedly missing in the Seunuddon
subdistrict, some 50 kilometers east of Lhokseumawe, capital of
North Aceh's regency.

"On the way home, four GAM members on two motorcycles
intercepted and attacked the TNI convoy," Suyatno told reporters.

In a separate interview with journalists, another GAM member
Ismail Syahputra, denied Suyatno's announcement, saying that the
four GAM members fled unscathed.

They were on the way to their parents' homes and were attacked
by TNI, Ismail said.

Open clashes between TNI soldiers and GAM members are rare in
the restive province. Most of the shootings have been between the
National Police's Mobile Brigade and separatist groups.

At least 44 security personnel, 18 of whom were Mobile Brigade
members, have been killed in Aceh this year. (50/sur)