Jakarta – The Indonesian military has rescued 124 people taken hostage by separatist rebels in Aceh province since the start of a military offensive last year but 260 civilians are still detained, a report said Monday.

"Security forces are still trying to rescue 260 civilians who are still being held hostage by GAM (the Free Aceh Movement) in various locations in Aceh, including RCTI cameraman Ferry Santoro," martial law commander Major General Endang Suwarya was quoted by the Republika daily as saying.

Santoro and his journalist colleague Ersa Siregar was captured by GAM last June along with the wives of two soldiers.

Siregar was killed in a shoot-out involving troops and rebels in December and the soldiers' wives were rescued in January.

The government last May launched an all-out military offensive to crush GAM, which has been fighting for independence for Aceh since 1976, after peace talks collapsed.

The military claims to have killed more than 1,300 rebels since then. Around 2,000 guerrillas and their sympathisers have been arrested or have surrendered, it said.