Banda Aceh – A territorial commander of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), identified as Abu Arafah, alias Ibrahim, 33, was shot dead at an isolated village in Aceh province, Aceh Police spokesman Taufik Sutiyono said here on Thursday.

Abu Arafah was the GAM commander for Meureuhom Daya, one of about 10 rebel "provinces." He was killed during a raid on the house of one of his wives in the Setiabakti subdistrict of West Aceh district, Taufik said, as quoted by AFP.

Acting on information from local residents, about 200 paramilitary officers had walked for about 90 minutes from the nearest road to reach the isolated village of Teupin Asan late on Wednesday evening, he said.

After encircling the house, police called on Arafah to surrender but he tried to escape from the back and was shot in the thigh, Taufik said. Arafah died later while on the way to the district town of Meulaboh, the cause of death suspected as "heavy loss of blood," Taufik said, without elaborating.

Sutiyono said officers searching the house and Arafah's body found one handgun with bullets, a satellite mobile telephone and GAM documents.

GAM Field Commander Abdul Amri bin Abdul Wahab confirmed Arafah's death but doubted the police account. "How can a wound to the thigh cause so much blood loss? ... It means he must have sustained severe wounds before he died," Abdul said.

Abdul added that the death of a territorial commander meant nothing to GAM and would not affect the rebels' morale. "We already have candidates to replace him," Abdul said, without elaborating. Both Taufik and Abdul said that Abu Arafah's wife, Afriani, was being questioned at the district police headquarters in Meulaboh.

GAM has been fighting since 1976 for an independent homeland in Aceh. More than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in the conflict, with rights activists estimating the toll for this year alone at around 1,000.