The Indonesian military (TNI) said Friday it had killed three

The Indonesian military (TNI) said Friday it had killed three
rebels in war-torn Aceh province, where troops have been battling
separatist guerrillas for nine months.

The three Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels were shot dead
during a clash with 12 soldiers in South Aceh district on
Thursday, said Captain Candra Purnama, a local military
spokesman.

Troops seized an automatic rifle from the three, all in their
20s, Purnama said, adding that soldiers were still chasing seven
other rebels who fled after the raid.

No GAM officials could be immediately reached for comment.

The report followed an announcement by another military
spokesman Thursday that the Indonesian military had stopped
publishing figures for killed rebels.

Rights groups have questioned whether all those in the
casualty count were actually rebels, partly because the number of
weapons the military seized from the dead was less than half the
number of casualties. -- AFP.