Military probes Aceh rebels arms cache

JAKARTA (JP): Military authorities in Aceh are investigating the origin of 49 assault rifles they seized in two places this week, a senior minister said yesterday.

Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman said the authorities were also probing who stored the rifles and ammunition and their motive.

"As of today, we have had no information on whether the firearms were supplied by a foreign country," Soesilo said after meeting with officials from ministries he coordinates.

In a raid Tuesday troops in Panggoi, near Lhok Seumawe, seized 18 assault rifles, two of which were M-16s and 12 AK-47s. The Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) uses both the above American-made guns.

Troops and alleged separatist rebels were engaged in a shootout for less than an hour prior to the find. Two rebels were arrested and another managed to escape.

Maj. Gen. Sudaryanto, head of Bukit Barisan Regional Military Command overseeing security in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra provinces said the two M-16s were seized by rebels in 1990.

He said rebels of the Free Aceh Movement snatched the rifles from two soldiers doing a civic mission in Buloh Blang Ara, northern Aceh, in which two soldiers were killed.

On Monday the military raided another rebel hideout in Langsa, eastern Aceh, and seized 31 assault rifles consisting of 24 Russian-made AK-47s and seven M-16s.

Military authorities in Aceh suspect that separatist rebels were planning to sabotage the giant Arun natural gas field in central Aceh.

Soesilo said that the intelligence operation that led to the discovery of the arms cache began after a fatal bank robbery in Lhok Seumawe earlier this month.

Two employees of Bank Central Asia were shot dead and the robbers fled with Rp 405 million (US$172,000) in cash.

"We believe the rifles belong to separatist rebels," Soesilo said.

Authorities in Aceh have said that remnants of the Free Aceh Movement are active again. (imn/pan)