Six slain in Aceh violence

Six slain in Aceh violence

Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Volunteers with the Indonesian Red Cross in Aceh have evacuated
six casualties bearing gunshot wounds, including one state
official, from four different locations in the strife-torn
province, graphic evidence that violence is still rampant.

The campaign for independence by the secessionist Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) has seen an escalation in the violence in recent
months.

Two bodies were found beneath a mountainous area in the
village of Ara Bungong, subdistrict of Peudada, some 180
kilometers east of Banda Aceh. They were identified as Syamaun
Madjid, 35, and Zulmahdi Yahya, 30.

Two other bodies were found in the village of Mon Kelayu,
subdistrict of Gandapura, some 230 kilometers east of Banda Aceh,
the capital city.

They were identified as Amri Yusuf, 23, and Junaidi, 22.

A Red cross volunteer Azhari from the regency of Bireun said
that he and other volunteers had transported those bodies to the
Bireun hospital.

Separately, Red Cross volunteers in South Aceh on Wednesday
also evacuated one body found near a road in the Gunung Kerambil
area, subdistrict of Tapaktuan, about 500 kilometers southeast of
Banda Aceh, and was evacuated to the Yulidin Away hospital in
Tapaktuan.

Meanwhile, volunteers also evacuated Ridwan Abdullah, 43, an
official with the Aceh education office from the Alue Gantong
village, subdistrict of Seulimun, about 50 kilometers east of
Banda Aceh.

Ridwan had been declared missing three weeks ago.