The Indonesian military reported 14 more deaths in war-torn Aceh province and said seven of them were villagers massacred by separatist rebels.

More than 20 Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels shot dead the seven residents of Gunung Semelit village in Central Aceh on Tuesday, said military spokesman Ahmad Yani Basuki on Thursday.

He said the rebels seized the villagers' ID cards and fled to a nearby mountainous area. GAM denied the report. "It is impossible that the shooting was carried out by us because none of our troops were operating in the village on that day and we have no reasons to shoot innocent villagers," spokesman Sofyan Daud told AFP in Jakarta by phone.

Basuki also said residents found the bodies of a husband and wife bearing gunshot and knife wounds at Peureulak in East Aceh on Wednesday. A male corpse bearing severe torture marks was found floating on a river in Bireuen district the same day.

Troops on Wednesday shot dead a rebel at Lhoksukon in North Aceh and gunned down another one in the Paya Udang area of Aceh Tamiang district, Basuki said. Soldiers shot dead a rebel and confiscated an automatic rifle during a gunfight in the Kluet Utara area of South Aceh on Wednesday.

He said soldiers also found the body of a rebel who is believed to have died of malaria in the Samahani area of Aceh Besar district the same day.

The spokesman said soldiers also captured seven suspected rebels during three separate operations on Wednesday.

The government on May 19 launched a massive military operation to crush the guerrillas, who have been fighting since 1976 for independence for the energy-rich province on Sumatra island.

The military said Tuesday that at least 752 rebels have been killed and more than 1,700 have been arrested or have surrendered since the start of the operation. Thirteen police and 46 soldiers have died. Human rights activists and other groups have questioned whether the military figure for rebel deaths also includes civilians.