Jakarta – An armed group set fire to 10 houses in a pre-dawn attack on a village in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province. More than 1,200 people fled the village of Paya Tampah, in the Bandar Baru sub-district of East Aceh after the attack, which took place about 2 am on Sunday.

There were no casualties, the Antara news agency reported, quoting the deputy spokesman of Aceh police operations Superintendent Yatim Suyatmo. Those who fled were reported to have sought safety with friends and families in neighbouring villages, Supt Suyatmo added.

The attackers fired shots into the air to wake up the villagers before the attack. Residents of the village, about 15 km east of the district capital of Langsa, were ordered to leave their houses before 10 were torched.

The group also burned a truck belonging to a local palm-oil plantation, Supt Suyatmo said. The assailants left after burning the houses, he said. Several members of the police elite force, Brimob, had been deployed to help keep the area secure, he added.