At least ten suspected rebels have been killed in gunbattles this week in Indonesia's restive province of Aceh, the army said Wednesday.

Nine rebels were gunned down by government troops in three separate clashes on Monday, said Ary Mulya Asnawi, an army spokesman in North Aceh's capital Lhokseumawe. He added that three soldiers were wounded.

Asnawi identified one of the nine as Betung bin Syarifuddin, 40, a local rebel commander who he said was killed in a gunbattle near the village of Alue Rambot in Southwest Aceh district. Another rebel was fatally shot Tuesday in Great Aceh district, Asnawi said.

Troops also confiscated a number of weapons, including semiautomatic rifles, and dozens of rounds of ammunition, he said.

A spokesman for the Free Aceh Movement could not be reached for immediate comment. It is impossible to verify the military's claims since it limits the movement of journalists in the province, and bars them from most rebel-held areas.

Aceh insurgents have been fighting for an independent homeland in their oil- and gas-rich region since 1976. At least 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict, including 2,300 since Jakarta launched its latest military offensive in May 2003.