Banda Aceh – At least two separatist rebels were killed and another 30 taken into custody in Indonesia's conflict-hit Aceh province in the past two days, the military said on Thursday.

Two guerrillas from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), which has been fighting for the province's independence since 1976, were killed in separate clashes on Tuesday and Wednesday which saw five more captured alive, military spokesman Ari Mulya Asnawisaid.

Another 25 rebels, only one of them armed, handed themselves over to military posts, Asnawi said. There was no immediate comment from rebel leaders.

An estimated 12,000 people – many of them civilians – have been killed since the rebels began their independence fight, with rights groups accusing both troops and the guerrillas of widespread abuses.

Jakarta launched a major military operation to try to crush the rebels after peace talks broke down in May 2003, imposing a period of martial law followed by a state of civil emergency in the province on the northern tip of Sumatra.

The military says more than 2,300 rebels have been killed since then. Rights groups say many of the victims were civilians, a charge denied by the government.