Banda Aceh – Three Acehenese civilians died in military custody after being shot and then arrested by Indonesian security forces, witnesses and hospital staff said Thursday. The bodies were taken to a local hosptial early on Thursday, a hospital employee said.

The three men were arrested during a security operation by the Indonesian military in the Keude Klep village in Tanah Pasir sub-district of North Aceh on Saturday, a local journalist said.

Around 3am Thursday their bodies were taken to the Meutia state hospital in Lhokseumawe, 18 kilometres east of the city, a staff member at the hospital said. "The three bodies were brought in by soldiers very early this morning. They all had gunshot wounds as well as bruises," the hospital employee said.

The three, all farmers, were with a fourth man riding on two motorcycles through Keude Klep when they were confronted by the guards. a resident said. He claimed the fourth man was well-known as a separatist rebel and the guards fired at him.

All four were wounded, but the rebel managed to escape while the farmers were arrested and taken to the sub-district military station in Tanah Pasir, he said. Military and police authorities in North Aceh could not immediately be reached for confirmation.

A crackdown by the Indonesian military on Tuesday left at least three suspected rebels in the same district. The security operation, launched following attacks by suspected rebels on police, took place despite a three-month truce between the government and rebels on June 2.

In Jakarta Wednesday, Human Rights Minister Abdallah Saad, said that despite the mounting violence in Aceh, he saw no need to declare a civil emergency.