Jakarta – Indonesia's military announced yesterday it has halted attacks on Aceh separatist rebels and a senior minister said the two sides in one of South-east Asia's longest wars are on course to sign a peace deal next month.

"What is happening is a shift from offensive moves into defensive ... a shift from search, find and destroy to providing a defensive corridor," military spokesman Syafrie Syamsuddin told a press conference.

"Should skirmishes occur, it is only for defensive purposes." But violence continued in the province despite the peace moves, with four policeman injured in a grenade attack and a man shot dead yesterday afternoon on the outskirts of Banda Aceh.

International mediators from the Henry Dunant Centre (HDC) announced on Tuesday that the signing of a peace agreement is planned for Dec 9 even though "a few issues need to be resolved" between the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Top security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told reporters the date is still valid despite a statement to the contrary from chief GAM negotiator Zaini Abdullah.

On Wednesday, the Swedish-based exiled rebel leadership said in a press release signed by Dr Abdullah that it had not agreed to a signing on Dec 9 and that no deal had yet been reached to end the war.

But GAM's military spokesman Sofyan Dawod said the same day its leaders throughout Aceh had received the announcement about the December 9 signing and would respect the decision.

"That statement is the personal attitude and statement of Dr Zaini Abdullah, not an official statement of the GAM leadership in Sweden," Mr Yudhoyono said.

He said he had raised Dr Abdullah's statement with HDC representatives who communicated with Stockholm. "Therefore we still hold as valid the commitment of an agreement on December 9." GAM's war for independence has killed an estimated 10,000 people since 1976.