Rebels kill six, injure others in Aceh
JAKARTA (JP): Violence flared again in the province of Aceh on Tuesday, with the military reporting that Free Aceh separatist guerrillas killed six and seriously injured six others.
Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday night that at least 20 members of the rebels group launched an assault on a transmigration resettlement center in the Peudada district of North Aceh.
Two transmigrants, identified as Zulkifli and Yanto, were killed in the afternoon attack, Syamsul said.
The rebel group is said to be led by Hasan Tiro, who is in exile in Sweden.
According to Syamsul, the rebels killed four others as they attempted to reach the victims of the initial assault.
The four were identified as Fauzi, a physician at the Peudada public health center, Musthopa, a nurse, police second class Sgt. Hendrik and police Pvt. second class Dominggus, he said.
He said the four were killed when members of the police's Crack Riot Troop (PPRM) -- sent to the province last week to prevent unrest -- were deployed to the resettlement center.
No civilian witnesses could be reached for comment, but a local correspondent told the Post that the incident took place at about 10 a.m. on Tuesday when a truck carrying members of the PPRM became mired in mud at Alu Rheung village in the Peudada district.
"Locals said the PPRM officers were heading to their village after being informed of a Free Aceh meeting in the area," the source said.
While trying to free their truck from the mud, the officers were attacked by the separatist rebels, he said.
"At least 12 people, including one officer, two medical staff members and nine rebels, were shot during the clash," the source said.
The director of the local Biereun Hospital, Syahrizal, said his hospital received two dead bodies and treated eight people who were injured in the clash.
"Each of them had gunshot wounds," he told the Post.
He said the two dead victims were Fauzia, the head of the village health center, and Mustapha, a member of Fauzia's medical staff.
"Fauzia was shot in the cheek and arm, while Mustapha was shot in the head and abdomen," Syahrizal said, adding that the other eight victims were taken to Lhokseumawe Hospital for further treatment.
According to Syamsul, six other people, including the Peudada Police chief, were injured when the rebels, armed with Russian- made AK-47s, attacked the police station.
"After launching the assault, the rebels escaped to a nearby forest area in the village," he said.
Syamsul said a number of soldiers and members of the riot troop were deployed to capture the rebels.
"TNI, in cooperation with local people, will try to capture the rebels alive," he said.
He regretted the attack was launched when the military was working hard to restore order in the troubled regency.
One of the latest fatal incidents in the area occurred on May 3 at Krueng Geukueh in North Aceh when at least 41 people, including women and children, were killed by the military following a gathering of the Free Aceh movement several nights earlier.
Eight days after the shootings, five grenades exploded at a Lhokseumawe military complex containing air defense artillery. The attack was apparently in retaliation for the shootings.
Nobody was injured in the attack.
The Indonesian Military blamed the incident on the Free Aceh rebels.
Calls for a referendum in the province to allow Acehnese to vote on whether they want independence have been growing recently.
On April 15, thousands of students and residents vandalized Indonesian flags in Lohksukon, North Aceh, following the removal of banners demanding a referendum on the province's future. (rms/01/47/bsr/ylt)