Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – In an attempted show of force, rebels in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and Papua launched attacks separately on Indonesian security personnel on Tuesday, leaving at least 10 civilians injured, six rebels dead and one soldier heavily wounded.
The attacks, aimed at showing the public that the rebels still existed, occurred as the nation celebrated Independence Day on August 17.
In the troubled province of Aceh, a group of Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members fired a grenade at Matang Glumpang police station, Bireuen regency, at 10 p.m. on Tuesday. As a result, six civilians were injured after the attack, mostly on their hands and legs. They were admitted immediately to Fauziah Hospital in Bireuen for medical treatment, according to military spokesman in Aceh Lt. Col. Asep Sapari, as quoted by Antara news agency on Wednesday.
Earlier on the same day, four GAM members riding two motorcycles threw three grenades at a crowd of people holding a gathering in front of state electricity company PT PLN's East Aceh regental office. Four people were wounded after the incident and a local resident suffered a heart attack.
Besides attacking civilians and police personnel, the rebels also ambushed and intercepted on the same day Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel in various corners and outposts in East Aceh and South Aceh regencies. Asep said no fatalities were sustained by the TNI, adding that the attacks even produced a backlash on the rebels. Four rebels were shot dead in separate incidents in the two regencies.
Meanwhile, in conjunction with Independence Day, the TNI media center in Lhokseumawe said in a report released on Wednesday that at least 1,159 rebels in Aceh had been killed in the security restoration operation there in the past 10 months.
At least 672 rebels were arrested and 696 others surrendered to Indonesian troops in areas across the province over the period, it said. "Some 753 guns of various types and thousands of rounds of ammunition were also seized from the rebels," it added. Some 34 Indonesian soldiers died in the battlefield, 26 others died of illnesses and accidents and 175 sustained injuries during the period.
Far away, in the easternmost Indonesian province of Papua, a gun battle between TNI personnel and rebel Free Papua Movement (OPM) members resulted in the death of two OPM members and heavy injury to a TNI soldier.
The chief of Trikora Military Command overseeing Papua province, Maj. Gen. Nurdin Zainal, explained that the exchange occurred at 10 a.m in Monia District Ilu subdistrict, Puncak Jaya regency, some 750 kilometers southwest of Jayapura, the capital of Papua province.
The incident started when five TNI personnel stationed in the regency were informed that OPM members would cause chaos in Mulia, the capital of Puncak Jaya regency, as locals celebrated Independence Day.
In a preemptive strike, the five raided a place believed to be a rebel hangout, but found no one there. On their way home, they were attacked by Papuan rebels, and fought back. Two rebels were shot dead, while First Pvt. Odjie from the Army's elite special force (Kopassus) sustained heavy injuries. "The incident showed that the Papuan rebels were trying to send a clear message that they still existed," said the two-star general.