Banda Aceh – Seven more people have been found dead over the past three days in Indonesia's rebellious Aceh province, aid workers and residents said Friday.

The bodies of five men bearing gunshot wounds were found at Blang Poroh in Bireuen district on Thursday, a humanitarian activist said. Aceh military spokesman Major Zaenal Muttaqin said the five were Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels killed in a gunfight with security forces on Wednesday. GAM said the victims were civilians shot dead by security forces.

In another incident, a 47-year-old man was gunned down by four unknown attackers at his house at Paloh Meuria in North Aceh on Wednesday night, residents said. His wife was badly wounded in the attack.

A GAM spokesman, Teungku Jamaika, said security forces killed a street vendor in the Kruang Geukeuh area of North Aceh on Thursday for refusing to give them money.

GAM rebels have been fighting for an independent state in Aceh since 1976. An estimated 10,000 people, mainly civilians, have died since then and more than 400 people have been killed this year alone. Indonesian officials and rebel leaders are scheduled to resume peace talks in Geneva at the end of April.