Associated Press – At least seven people have died in the latest round of violence in the strife-torn Aceh province, human rights activists said on Friday.

The head of the People's Crisis Centre in the Bireum region said five bodies were found on Thursday with gunshot wounds. He said two of the dead were student human rights activists.

Rizannur, who like many Indonesians has only one name, said the military had cracked down in recent days on separatist rebels and suspected sympathisers. "They have acted brutally," he said.

Two other bodies were found in west Aceh, said Zakaria, another human rights activist. He said the military raided several villagers in the area on Thursday, setting fire to about 80 homes. The latest killings brings to 24 the death toll in the region this week.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the separatist rebel group the Free Aceh Movement, Ismail Syahputra, claimed 15 soldiers were killed in a clash Thursday in east Aceh.

A military spokesman confirmed the clash took place but said no soldiers had died. "It's not true," said Captain Sugeng Santoso. "Only four soldiers were wounded."