Jakarta – Indonesian troops have killed more than 230 alleged separatist guerrillas in Aceh province since martial law was lifted two months ago.

Some 232 alleged members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) – or almost four people a day on average – died in clashes between May 19 and July 19, said Police Senior Commissioner Anjaya.

Nine soldiers and two policemen were killed in the same period and 16 soldiers were wounded, said Anjaya, the spokesman for the civil emergency authority which replaced the martial law administration on May 19.

The latest figure means that – according to military and police counts – almost 2,200 rebels have been killed since May 19, 2003, when the military launched a huge operation to crush GAM after a brief truce broke down.

Rights groups say many of those killed or captured in the province on Sumatra island have been civilians.

Anjaya said 114 guerrillas were arrested in the past two months while 95 others surrendered. Government forces confiscated 152 firearms.

GAM has been fighting for independence since 1976 and has also been accused of rights abuses.

An estimated 10,000 people, many of them civilians, died in the province between 1976 and 2002. Most of them were killed during a brutal 10-year military operation which ended in 1998 with the fall of strongman Suharto (news - web sites).

In the latest violence, troops shot dead two suspected rebels in a clash at Seulimum in Aceh Besar district on Tuesday, said local military commander Lieutenant Colonel Joko Warsito.