Rebels attacks on Independence Day

Rebels attacks on Independence Day

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post/Jayapura

In an attempted show of force, rebels in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam
and Papua launched attacks separately on Indonesian security
personnel on Tuesday, leaving at least 10 civilians injured, six
rebels dead and one soldier heavily wounded.

The attacks, aimed at showing the public that the rebels
still existed, occurred as the nation celebrated Independence Day
on Aug. 17.

In the troubled province of Aceh, a group of Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) members fired a grenade at Matang Glumpang police
station, Bireuen regency, at 10 p.m. on Tuesday. As a result, six
civilians were injured after the attack, mostly on their hands
and legs. They were admitted immediately to Fauziah Hospital in
Bireuen for medical treatment, according to military spokesman in
Aceh Lt. Col. Asep Sapari, as quoted by Antara news agency on
Wednesday.

Earlier on the same day, four GAM members riding two
motorcycles threw three grenades at a crowd of people holding a
gathering in front of state electricity company PT PLN's East
Aceh regental office. Four people were wounded after the incident
and a local resident suffered a heart attack.

Besides attacking civilians and police personnel, the rebels
also ambushed and intercepted on the same day Indonesian Military
(TNI) personnel in various corners and outposts in East Aceh and
South Aceh regencies. Asep said no fatalities were sustained by
the TNI, adding that the attacks even produced a backlash on the
rebels. Four rebels were shot dead in separate incidents in the
two regencies.

Meanwhile, in conjunction with Independence Day, the TNI media
center in Lhokseumawe said in a report released on Wednesday that
at least 1,159 rebels in Aceh had been killed in the security
restoration operation there in the past 10 months.

At least 672 rebels were arrested and 696 others surrendered
to Indonesian troops in areas across the province over the
period, it said. "Some 753 guns of various types and thousands of
rounds of ammunition were also seized from the rebels," it added.

Some 34 Indonesian soldiers died in the battlefield, 26 others
died of illnesses and accidents and 175 sustained injuries during
the period.

Far away, in the easternmost Indonesian province of Papua, a
gun battle between TNI personnel and rebel Free Papua Movement
(OPM) members resulted in the death of two OPM members and heavy
injury to a TNI soldier.

The chief of Trikora Military Command overseeing Papua
province, Maj. Gen. Nurdin Zainal, explained that the exchange
occurred at 10 a.m in Monia District Ilu subdistrict, Puncak Jaya
regency, some 750 kilometers southwest of Jayapura, the capital
of Papua province.

The incident started when five TNI personnel stationed in the
regency were informed that OPM members would cause chaos in
Mulia, the capital of Puncak Jaya regency, as locals celebrated
Independence Day.

In a preemptive strike, the five raided a place believed to be
a rebel hangout, but found no one there. On their way home, they
were attacked by Papuan rebels, and fought back. Two rebels were
shot dead, while First Pvt. Odjie from the Army's elite special
force (Kopassus) sustained heavy injuries. "The incident showed
that the Papuan rebels were trying to send a clear message that
they still existed," said the two-star general.