Two GAM rebels killed, two others escape

PEKANBARU, Riau: Two member of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) were killed, while two others managed to escape a gunfight with ten Army soldiers in Pangkalan Kerinci, 70 kilometers east of Pekanbaru, Riau, on Friday.

Chief of the Pangkalan Kerinci military district Col. Karseno said here on Saturday that the gunfight had occurred after Friday prayers.

"We opened fire after they refused to surrender. Two rebels died instantly while two others managed to flee," he said, saying that the rebels were not Acehnese.

Karseno said the two dead men were identified as Supardi, 27, from Labuhan Batu, North Sumatra, and Irianto, 26, from Muara Bungo, Jambi.

The military personnel had also seized two AK-47 rifles and a number of ammunitions from the rebels. The military was still searching for two escapees, he added. --JP