Jakarta – Five armed people, allegedly members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), were killed when security officers launched an attack in Bayeuen district, East Aceh, some 460 kilometers away from Banda Aceh, a report said on Wednesday.

Aceh Military spokesman Maj. (Inf.) Zaenal Mutaqin said that the five were killed on Tuesday afternoon in a gunfight with security officers. The military also seized three long rifles from the rebels.

Zaenal told Antara news agency that the military deployed 53 officers for the operation Separately, spokesman with the local branch of the state-owned PT PLN (Persero) Heri Zulkarnaen said in Banda Aceh that in the last eight months, an unidentified group had toppled at least 21 electricity towers belonging to the company in East Aceh.

This action, he added, had caused a major blackout in four regencies in the eastern part of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and would need at least three months to repair.