Shootout occurs on the street

Shootout occurs on the street

LHOKSEUMAWE, Aceh: An armed gang and police officers exchanged
fire in a new incident early Saturday, the military said here on
Saturday.

Col. Jhonny Wahab, commander of the Liliwangsa military
district, said a number of estimated casualties was not available
and details of the incident remain unclear.

"I have yet to receive a report on the casualties in the
skirmish," he said.

The military, he added, had received two different versions of
the encounter.

According to the first version, the clash took place when
members of the joint police-military Crack Riot Troop (PPRM) task
force together with the North Aceh Police were checking passing
vehicles for firearms.

"When some security officers approached a car, they were
suddenly fired upon by people inside the vehicle. The officers
instantly returned fire, but the assailants fled the scene in
their car.

"This reportedly happened at 12:30 a.m. on Saturday," Wahab
said.

The second version has it that security officers were attacked
by members of an unidentified armed gang in front of the North
Aceh Police station, he said.

The time of the attack was said to be at about 12:15 a.m. on
Saturday. Some PPRM officers guarding the police headquarters
said they had been alerted by gunfire directed at the
headquarters.

The officer in charge of the police station, Lt. Col. Iskandar
Hasan, could not be reached for comment.

The atmosphere in Lhokseumawe during daylight hours on
Saturday otherwise appeared calm and people were going about
their business as usual.

Public transportation services were also operating normally.

However, air filled with tension after dusk.