Ten people killed in strife-torn Aceh

Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Despite two days of dialog between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Geneva on Saturday and Sunday, violence continued unabated in the war-torn province, claiming at least 10 lives, including those of two servicemen.

Maj. Zaenal Mutaqin, spokesman for the military operation in Aceh, said that security personnel shot dead two GAM members in East Aceh on Sunday and recovered a firearm and 22 rounds of ammunition from the bodies of the victims.

The security forces also recovered a body in west Glumpang subdistrict, although it had yet to be identified, he added.

Mutaqin also said the GAM had killed a civilian, identified as Mansur, 45, in North Aceh on Sunday.

So far, GAM has yet to confirm the killing.

Separately, Tengku Jamaika, spokesman for GAM in North Aceh Regency, said on Monday that during the weekend the TNI had conducted a major military operation in villages near Lhokseumawe and Nisam subdistricts.

He alleged that as part of the operation, Army soldiers had arrested five civilians on Saturday, and two of them, identified as Rahman Ismail, 19 and Muslim, 27, were later found dead with their bodies riddled with bullets.

Mutaqin slammed the GAM accusation as being baseless, saying the operation was being conducted to protect the people from being intimidated by rebels, and that the military had never shot civilians during the military operation.

Another victim of the unrest in Aceh was identified as Jamaluddin, 43. He was shot dead by two motorists in Pasi Mali market on Sunday. The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) removed his body to his home in Suak Geudeubang village, West Aceh.

The Red Cross also removed the bodies of two civilians, who were believed to have died from severe wounds, from Suak Raya village to Meulaboh Hospital, said Rasmuddin, a local staffer of the Red Cross in the town.

The body of last of the weekend's victims, who was identified as Usman Husin, 50, was recovered from his house in Krueng Rieng village in Pidie. He was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Saturday night.

Both sides' delegates who met in Geneva agreed to continue their meetings. A new date, however, has yet to be set.