TNI claims territorial control over Aceh

TNI claims territorial control over Aceh

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesia Military (TNI) claimed on Wednesday it had control
of the Aceh province, six weeks after the launching of the
military offensive to quash the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)
separatists, but warned quickly that fighting would continue.

"When it comes to territorial control, it is 100 percent under
our control," TNI Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said as quoted
by Antara. "But if there be one or two more attacks, we didn't
say that security is 100 percent guaranteed."

Regaining territorial control has been one of the two goals of
the current security operation in Aceh, the biggest since the
East Timor invasion in 1975.

The other goal is to disarm as many GAM members as possible.

Endriartono said, however, the military offensive would
continue. GAM he said remained a threat with troops still coming
under fire from the rebels.

He did not give a timetable, but officials have said they hope
to wind down military operations, which began on May 19, after
six months or less.

Jakarta launched the offensive on May 19 following the
breakdown of a five-month-old peace deal with GAM. The military
operation is set to last for six months, but TNI has claimed the
military operation was achieving some progress ahead of schedule.

Territorial control was targeted within two months of the
start of the operation. The other four-month period aims at
separating civilians from GAM rebels, who blend with the civilian
population.

GAM strongholds include the regencies of Pidie, Bireun and
Aceh Besar. Where support for independence is strong, rebels
often run their own local administrations, rendering state
offices useless. Now, many rebels have left densely populated
areas and retreated into the forests or mixed with the local
people.

Earlier, Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu claimed that the
military operation has whittled down GAM's force from an
estimated 5,000 to between 600 to 700.

According to TNI estimates, 309 GAM members were killed in the
first six weeks of the offensive. Another 682 have either
surrendered or were captured.

However GAM military spokesman Sofyan Dawood, said his forces
were still united in the field.

"According to us, there is no problem. Things are normal," he
was quoted as saying by Agence France Presse.

GAM previously controlled several areas in the province and
ran a de facto civil administration in some districts.

In the latest incident, two GAM members stole on Wednesday two
rifles belonging to police officers who were guarding a state-
owned bank in Darussalam area, some eight kilometers from the
provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

Banda Aceh Police deputy chief Comr. Arie Rachman said the
rebels posed as customers when they stole the rifles.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Yani Basuki said eight clashes
have been reported across the province since Tuesday, with two
rebels killed and two captured for the loss of one soldier. A
second soldier was injured.

The military was continuing its search for an Indonesian TV
crew missing since Sunday when it left East Aceh for Lhokseumawe.

Commenting on the disappearance of the reporter, cameraman and
driver from the private RCTI station, Sutarto said journalists in
Aceh "should stick close" to the military.

Last month, a cameraman with the state TVRI station was found
murdered in Aceh after going missing for almost a month. Muhammad
Jamal had been abducted from his office by unidentified gunmen.

Late on Tuesday, GAM members allegedly lobbed three grenades
at the Lhokseumawe military district command. Almost at the same
time, another grenade was lobbed at the North Aceh regent's
office in Lhokseumawe. No one was injured in either attack.

The North Aceh capital of Lhokseumawe is the seat of the
military operation command center.

Tuesday's attacks marked the first grenade attacks in
Lhokseumawe, which is where the Indonesian unit of U.S energy
giant ExxonMobil operates a gas field.

Elsewhere, a marine officer and two GAM rebels were killed in
a firefight on Mt. Ketek in the village of Sama Dua in South Aceh
regency on Tuesday, Yani said.

He said that Pvt. Anton Pujo Harmoko was killed while two
others were injured as they engaged a group of some 15 rebels in
a gunfight.

The marines, he said, were on patrol when they clashed.

On the same day, rebels also abducted two residents of the
Krueng Saba district in Aceh Jaya regency, Yani said.