Jakarta – Fierce rebel fighting has left four suspected rebels and a soldier dead in separate clashes in Indonesia's Aceh province, an army spokesman said Tuesday.

The latest casualties came as authorities said they will meet on Thursday to iscuss whether to extend the year-old military offensive, which authorities first claimed would quickly crush the 27-year old rebellion.

In a rare incident, rebels on Tuesday ambushed soldiers patrolling a village in North Aceh and shot a soldier in the head, who died instantly, said Lt. Col. Asep Sapari.

Soldier shot and killed four rebels Monday in rebel strongholds in the north and south parts of the oil- and gas-rich region, Sapari said. Two other suspected rebels were either captured or surrendered.

Rebels couldn't be reached for comment. However, rights groups say many of the roughly 2,000 people killed since operations were launched last May have been villagers caught up in army raids in remote villages.

Military brass initially claimed it would re-establish control over Aceh within six months. However, combat operations and casualties on both sides continue.

Some 5,000 rebels have been fighting since December 1976 for the independence of Indonesia's westernmost province. Successive brutal military operations have only served to fuel the rebellion.