Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Separatist rebels in Aceh declared a state of emergency yesterday, blaming the military offensive for the rising civilian death toll in the province.

Mr Sofyan Daud, the Free Aceh Movement's (GAM) spokesman, said: "As of Thursday, Aceh has been in an extreme state of emergency because Indonesian forces have begun entering villages by day and night in full uniform and combat gear." Non-government groups report that civilians have become the major victims of the conflict.

Another Free Aceh spokesman warned that the rebels would launch a counter-offensive to defend the ordinary people. "If the Indonesian military continues with its military operation, GAM will attack all military installations and the situation will become very dangerous," said Mr Teuku Nashiruddin, a spokesman for the rebels" negotiating team.

Mr Nashiruddin blamed the high civilian death toll during the conflict on Indonesian troops who had been using the villages as a base for their operations, rather than fighting out in the fields. "Every time the troops enter the villages, civilians become victims," he said.

The military stepped up its offensive against the Acehnese rebels in the wake of a failed peace process and following an attack on Exxon Mobil oil fields in Lhokseumawe, for which the rebels were blamed.

Mr Saifuddin Bantasyan, a spokesman for a non-government group, said that the military offensive appears to have inflicted heavy losses on the rebels in key districts. He added that the state of emergency might have been declared in an attempt to move the battle out of the villages and back to the fields.

Another non-government activist Faisal Hadi claimed that the rising tide of violence during the crackdown had boosted the number of people joining the ranks of the rebels. "The government's policy has created a lot more active GAM members, because if they become active they get a gun and can protect themselves or maybe take revenge. But if they don't have a gun they can't do anything," he said, referring to the recent military offensive.

On Thursday, another nine people died in violence across the province. However, one of the most shocking cases was the execution of Mr Teuku Djohan, a former vice-governor and Parliament member, outside Banda Aceh's main mosque. It is unclear whether he was shot by rebels, criminals or the military.