Six troops killed by Aceh rebels

Ibnu Matnoor and Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Six members of the Indonesian Air Force's special forces (Paskhas) were killed in an ambush by members of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) near Iskandar Muda Airport in Blangbintang, Aceh Besar regency, on Wednesday night, an officer said on Thursday.

Spokesman for the Aceh Regional Military Command Lt. Col. Firdaus Komarno said the troops were on the way home after seeking supplies in a market in Krueng Raya, two kilometers away from the airport.

Firdaus said the six fatalities were Pvt. Gunawan Siahaan, Pvt. Tarmizi, Pvt. Widodo, Pvt. Basuki, Pvt. Suparno, and Pvt. Budi Marwoto.

The rebels also took five SS-1 rifles from the troops.

According to Firdaus, the six troops were riding on a Kijang pickup when GAM launched the attack at 8 p.m.

GAM spokesman for the Banda Aceh area, Tengku Maksalmina, confirmed on Thursday that his members had attacked four military vehicles patrolling the village of Montasik, near the airport, some 20 kilometers east of Banda Aceh.

Three of the vehicles managed to escape, but the fourth was left behind. All six troops in the pickup were killed.

"We also took five rifles from them," Maksalmina added.

In a separate incident on Wednesday, an Indonesian soldier and one alleged Acehnese rebel were killed during a gunfight that broke out in the village of Northwest Hagu, Lhokseumawe, North Aceh.

Military (TNI) spokesman in Lhokseumawe Maj. Zaenal Mutaqin confirmed that the gunfight had taken place at 3:30 p.m. local time as six soldiers patrolled in the village, which is located only one kilometer away of downtown Lhokseumawe.

Seeing the military patrol, three local youths immediately fled. One of them entered a house. Two soldiers chased the youth, who then opened fire.

First Sgt. M. Jafar was severely wounded by the armed youth, identified as Bustaman, 22. But, before Jafar died, random shoots he released killed Bustaman.

A Colt pistol and 24 bullets were recovered from the suspected rebel.

Jafar, meanwhile, was brought to the Lilawangsa Military Hospital, but to no avail.

Mutaqin said Bustaman was believed to be a GAM member who had set several school buildings ablaze over the weekend.

GAM spokesman for North Aceh Tengku Jamaika admitted that Bustaman was a member of the separatist group. "He was assaulted inside the house," Jamaika told The Jakarta Post.

He claimed Bustaman had gunned down two soldiers. One died and the other was in critical condition.

Jamaika denied the accusation that Bustaman was responsible for the burning of several school buildings in Lhokseumawe.

"The conflagrations were engineered by the military to fool the Acehnese and defame GAM," said Jamaika.

Another incident took place in Krueng Sabe, West Aceh, when the police's Mobile Brigade killed three GAM members in a gunfight in the village of Paya Seumantok.

Local police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Dade Ahmad said one of the GAM members was identified as Muslim alias Alexander, 20, while the other two remained unidentified.

Alexander, known to be a GAM operational commander, has been the target of a military hunt for some time.

The police seized an FN pistol, bullets, and other military equipment.

Officer Dade added that Sabaruddin Ahmad, 50, a village head in Samalanga subdistrict, Bireun Regency, was slain by two motorists, believed to be GAM members.

No confirmation or denial was forthcoming from GAM.

The continuing violence in the province of Aceh could seriously disrupt the peace agreement reached between Jakarta and GAM representatives in Geneva last month.

A delegation of the Switzerland-based Henry Dunant Center (HDC) arrived on Wednesday in the troubled Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, formerly known as Aceh, province to evaluate whether the peace agreement had been effective.

The arrival of the delegation was important to ensure that peace was restored in the province after decades of war.

Three members of the delegation, Gen. Rupert Smith, Andrew Marshall, and David Gorman, took part in the dialog between Jakarta and GAM in Geneva last month.

The delegation was due to depart for Jakarta on Thursday afternoon.