Banda Aceh – Separatist rebels in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province claimed Sunday to have shot dead 18 soldiers over the past three days, a claim denied by the security forces who said they had killed at least five rebels.

Free Aceh Movement (GAM) guerrillas attacked a military station in Kuta Blang, North Aceh late Thursday, killing more than 10 soldiers and injuring many more, North Aceh deputy GAM commander, Cut Manyak, said. "The attack was conducted using bazooka and automatic rifles and destroyed the two-story house which is being use as a headquarters of the security forces," Manyak said.

A separate rebel group also attacked a military station in Peusangan, in the neighbouring district of Bireun, early Friday, killing at least five soldiers, Manyak added.

Guerrillas also ambushed a convoy of three trucks transporting soldiers on patrol in Jangka, also in Bireun Friday, killing three more soldiers, he said. Indonesian troops immediately conducted a sweep around the ambush area and shot dead two civilians, he said.

Aceh Police Spokesman Adjunct Senior Commissioner Dadek Rachman denied that any men in the Indonesian armed forces had been killed. "There are no victims from among the members of the security apparatus," Rachman said.

Rachman said that members of the elite police unit Brimob clashed with eight GAM rebels in Krueng Sabe on Saturday. At least three rebels were believed to have been wounded judged by the trails of blood they left, he said.

Aceh Military spokesman Major Eertoto said that troops shot dead three GAM rebels in Labuhan Haji, South Aceh on Friday. Ertoto also said that a patrol of 36 soldiers clashed in Samadua, also in South Aceh, and shot dead two other rebels on Friday.

An estimated 10,000 people have died since December 1976 when GAM began its fight for an independent Islamic state on the northern tip of Sumatra island.More than 300 have been killed this year alone in the energy-rich province.