Policeman stabbed to death, another wounded in Aceh

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): An unidentified man stabbed two on-duty policemen in a stall in Peureulak subdistrict in East Aceh on Tuesday, killing one of them.

Eyewitnesses said that Bayu and Tri Sutomo, both enlisted personnel, were shopping at the stall when a tall and light- skinned man stabbed them in the back. The dagger pierced Bayu's stomach and he died instantly.

"People ran in a panic upon seeing the incident. The attacker ran toward the nearby police dormitory and disappeared," Nurmi M. Ali, one of the witnesses, said.

Nurmi, who is also coordinator for student volunteers for Aceh refugees, confirmed that the hefty attacker also stole the officers' long rifles.

No one had the courage to take the victims to the hospital. A group of policemen and Army members later arrived at the scene and started to spray bullets in a shooting spree which lasted more than three hours.

"Forty cars were damaged and one resident was seriously wounded by gunshot," she said.

The police and military personnel, who looked angry after the death of their friend, then rushed to a nearby refugee camp and ordered all the men to come outside. They then reportedly tortured them.

"Five of the volunteer workers are in critical condition at Langsa Hospital," Nurmi said. The five were identified as Syakya, 25, Nabawi, 24, Sulaiman, 20, Yusli, 25, and Mastur Yahya, 25.

Aceh Police spokesman Maj. Said Husaini confirmed the killing of the policeman, but said he had yet to receive a detailed report on the murder.

Nurmi speculated that the attacker was a provocateur, judging from the fact that he gave out leaflets urging local youths to join a referendum rally.

She also said the dagger carried by the killer was not a rencong (Aceh traditional dagger). She added that she had kept the dagger's sheath.

However, life in most sections of Aceh's capital Banda Aceh returned to normal on Tuesday following Saturday's celebration of 23rd-anniversary of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), Antara reported.

It was business as usual at the government and private offices here, with 80 percent of the employees back at work.

Home-makers began to swarm traditional markets and shopping malls to buy food for the fasting month which starts on Thursday.

Many of the residents in this predominantly Muslim province began to clean mosques, set up street banners and billboards bearing Muslim's attributes as they brace for the fasting month of Ramadhan. (50/sur)