More than 100 military personnel from (TNI-AD; Indonesian Armed Forces) commanded by BKO (Operational Unit) of Korem 011/Liliwangsa, composed of Yonif 131 and 133 and backed by one platoon from Battalion 328 Kostrad, commanded by Intel Korem 011/Liliwangsa, LetKol Inf Sudjono, in initial report have massacred more than 39 civilian in the valley of Singgah Mata, Blang Merandeh village, Beutong Ateuh, in West Aceh District.

This group of Forces was known to the people of Aceh as "Pasukan TNI Pembantai Rakyat Civil" or "The Civilian Killers".

The units used 17 military trucks traveling from Takengon, Central Aceh on 21 July 1999, toward Beutong Ateuh where the religious school under leadership of Tengku Bantakiah resides.

Around 4pm in the afternoon, on July 23, Indonesian Forces whose faces were painted in black dressed in full military uniform arrived in Beutong Ateuh, where Tengku Bantakiah and his family lives. The Indonesian Military immediately ordered the village leader of Desa Blang Merandeh to gathered all inhabitants/villagers (including children and women) to the second floor of Bantakiah's home.

Eight of the men in the village were rounded up by the soldiers to the mountain side used as guide to search for GAM (Free Aceh Movement Personnel). During the search they torched two houses and ransacked a few others. Failing to find anything, the Indonesian soldiers came back to Bantakiah's premises and ordered all men to get out of the house with hands above their heads.

Around 11pm, all 70 men from the village were ordered to line-up in front of Tengku Bantakiah home. Then, the commander of Indonesian Soldiers ordered Tengku Bantakiah to come forward. Witnessed by all villagers, including his son and his wife the commander shot Tengku Bantakiah at point-blank.

Usman, 28, Bantakiah's son ran to hold his father, was also shot at point blank, as well as Bantaqiah's wife. The Commander ordered the villagers to bury Tengku Bantakiah under threat of automatic weapons. Once the burial is over, the soldiers ordered the villagers to line up again – and using automatic assault rifles began shooting at everyone insight. 28 civilians were killed immediately on the spot, they were dumped and buried in a well, behind BantakiahFs home. And, the injured were dump into a truck. The other eight civilians, rounded-up earlier used in the search for GAM was also murdered. During their trip back to Takengon, the soldiers killed the remainder of the injured civilians inside the truck. About 60 Acehnese civilians were killed that day by TNI-AD Military Personnel from Yonif 131, Yonif 138 and Battalion 328 Kostrad commanded by BKO) Korem 011/Lilawangsa.

The news about the massacred was only known by the locals on the 24th of July, 1999. A couple of witnesses were able to avoid the military check points and headed to Meulaboh (Capital City of West Aceh District). Once the news were leaked to the press, only then the rest of the surrounding villagers began their exodus. The villagers just have learnt that their neighboring villages men has been killed by soldiers.

Commander of Korem 012/Teuku Umar, Kol. CZI. Syarifuddin Tippe, statement of the massacred: "It is true that Tengku Bantakiah and his 30 followers were killed. It is because our intelligence unit knew that he has arms with him. And we have taken to custody AK-56, AK-47, Colt 38 Pistol, FN45, 100 ammunitions, 60 pieces of arms, 1 antenna radio Rango, 1 unit HT IC-02N, 2 Kg of Ganja, and they have knives." He added "It is not true that we killed civilians. The truth is that there was a battle, where we were attacked at two points before getting to Bantakiah place."

Head of Staff Korem 011/TU, Letkol. Inf. IRO SUPARMO: " There was no women killed in that incident. All of them were men from GAM.

Head of Korem 011/LLW, Kol.Inf. Syafnil Armen: All I know it is not Kostrad (Special Forces) who massacred those men. I have no knowledge of any Kostrad forces in Acehw. He added: Only forces from Korem 011/LLW and Korem 012/TU were used."

Head of Police in Aceh, Kol. Pol. Bachrumsyah: Those who are killed are trouble makers and ganja farmers, but we are still checking. He added: "fights broke out between Special Police and Bantakiahfs group for about ten minutes.