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.