Banda Aceh – At least 60 separatist guerrillas have left their rebel stronghold in Indonesia's Aceh province after a peace pact was signed last week.

The move comes a day after 1,300 Indonesian soldiers withdrew from Aceh province, the first major step by Indonesia to begin implementing the historic peace.

Major Priyo Purwoko, an Aceh military spokesman, confirmed that the rebels from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) had descended from their mountain camps and said they would be placed under military protection. "We have received confirmation on the surrender of rebels in South Aceh," he told AFP.

The guerrillas have been leaving their jungle hideouts in groups since the historic peace pact was inked on August 15 and are now staying at a house in Simpang Tiga village in South Aceh district, the state Antara news agency said.

Among the 60 leaving the jungle hideouts were a subdistrict military commander and his deputy, the local subdistrict chief M. Nasir was quoted as saying.

"They have come without their weapons but said that the weapons were currently stored at a particular location and would be surrendered once an order from their superiors is received," Nasir said.

Under the pact, the rebels have to surrender their weapons at specified locations to the international Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM), which will be composed of officials from the European Union and Southeast Asia. The mission is only due to begin operations on September 15.

"They have begun to drink coffee with military personnel from the nearest posts there," Nasir said, referring to the popular tradition in staunchly Muslim Aceh for men to socialize at coffee stalls.

South Aceh district military chief, Lieutenant Colonel Jamhur Ismail, told AFP that the rebels would not be officially described as having surrendered until foreign monitors, some of whom are already on the ground preparing for the formal start of the AMM, approve the process.

Several GAM members have surrendered to the authorities, carrying their weapons with them, since August 15, but this is the first reported case of rebels coming out in public without being arrested.

Both sides have said they will refrain from making statements or taking actions which may jeopardise the peace pact, which paves the way for an end to a 29-year conflict in which some 15,000 people have lost their lives.