Escalating fighting in resource-rich Aceh province has left at least 22 suspected separatist rebels and one Indonesian soldier dead, an army spokesman said Wednesday.

More than 900 suspected fighters from the Free Aceh Movement have now died since Jakarta abandoned a five-month truce in May and launched a large-scale military offensive.

The military shot the rebels in several clashes Tuesday, mostly in the north of the oil-and-gas-rich region on the northern tip of Sumatra island, said Lt. Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki. Insurgents killed an army sergeant in one of the skirmishes.

A rebel spokesman, Tengku Jamaica, said he was unaware of the clashes. It is impossible to verify the military claims, since the government's strict press policy makes it extremely difficult to visit rebel-held areas.

The military has been accused of exaggerating its battlefield successes and committing rights abuses in Aceh, where more than 35,000 troops are fighting around 5,000 rebels. The guerrillas have been fighting since 1976 for an independent state.

Rights activists allege that many of the suspected rebels killed by the army are civilians mistaken for guerrillas or bystanders caught in the crossfire.

Indonesian generals initially said they would need six months to crush the rebellion, but have recently begun talking about a longer war.

Analysts have criticized President Megawati Sukarnoputri for alienating many Acehnese by relying exclusively on military force to solve the issue.

Close

Today's Top News		Top International News
+Relocated residents face some home truths ( 2003-09-17) +Forbes: Keep RMB rate stable ( 2003-09-17) +Army transfer on DPRK border not mass build-up ( 2003-09-17) +Nation to boost high-tech industries ( 2003-09-17) +Drought, pollution plague Chinese cities ( 2003-09-17)		+Palestinians angered by US veto of UN Arafat plea ( 2003-09-17) +At least 22 suspected Aceh rebels killed ( 2003-09-17) +Palestinian envoy hits US veto on Arafat ( 2003-09-17) +Up to 90,000 urged to evacuate US East Coast ( 2003-09-17) +Elephant population in Asia dwindling ( 2003-09-17)