Banda Aceh – At least 17 people have been killed during the Muslim Eid Al-Fitr holiday in Indonesia's troubled province of Aceh, police and human rights workers said Sunday.

The continuing violence bodes ill for upcoming peace talks between the government and leaders of the separatist Free Aceh Movement. They are tentatively scheduled to take place January 5 in Geneva.

Three civilians died Saturday when police opened fire in Seuneubok Rawang, East Aceh, said Muhammad Dahlan, a rights worker. Supt. Yatim Suyatmo, a spokesman for the security forces accused them of being separatist guerrillas. "The rebels started shooting first when police conducted operations in the village," he said.

But a rebel commander, Ishak Daud, denied that the victims were guerrilla fighters. "The casualties were employees of a shrimp farm, which was looted by the police after the shooting," he said.

Two unidentified bodies were found in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh and in North Kluet district Saturday, hospital workers said. In South Aceh, villagers said police shot to death four men.

Meanwhile, seven bodies were found with gunshot wounds in Pidie, a town 80 kilometers east of the provincial capital of Banda Aceh. "Those people were kidnapped and killed by the rebels," Suyatmo said. One police officer was stabbed to death in West Aceh Friday, he added.