Up to 15 killed in Aceh

Up to 15 killed in Aceh

LHOKSEUMAWE, Aceh (Reuters): Up to 15 men died on Saturday in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province in a battle between police and separatists, police and rebels said.

The clash occurred mid-morning as an elite police unit patrolled near Matang Sejuk village in North Aceh, around 80 km (50 miles) east of Lhokseumawe, the official said. The area is a stronghold of the pro-independence Free Aceh Movement.

Guerrillas said 12 police were shot dead and police said they killed three rebels. Neither account could be immediately verified by independent sources.

Police said they also captured three guerrillas and a large cache of weapons and ammunition.

A separatist insurgency has been simmering in the staunchly Moslem province on the northern tip of Sumatra for decades.

Violence has increased in the past month, with several people killed and more than 10,000 fleeing their homes.