Rebels kill six, injure others in Aceh
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)