Skirmishes bring end to unofficial truce in Aceh; security fears increase

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia - Indonesia's military has stepped up patrols for separatist rebels in tsunami-stricken northern Sumatra island after isolated skirmishes in recent days raised fears the conflict could hamper the relief effort.

Officials from the United States and Australia, which both have unarmed military teams helping the massive aid effort, said Saturday that they had assessed potential threats and were satisfied that Indonesian forces were providing adequate security.

Separatist rebels in the fiercely independent northern Sumatran province of Aceh have been fighting a low-intensity war against Indonesian troops for an independent homeland for more than 20 years.

Indonesian forces are accused of brutality in the region and are generally hated.

The conflict was abruptly interrupted by the Dec. 26 earthquake off Sumatra and the tsunami it spawned, which killed more than 100,000 people and left five times that number homeless. The Free Aceh Movement, known by the acronym GAM, declared a unilateral cease-fire and the military said it would not target suspected rebels during the emergency.

But clashes have broken out in recent days. Marine Lt. Col. Bambang Sus said Indonesian troops on Wednesday ambushed a group of alleged rebel fighters in the northern Aceh town of Seunudun, killing two in a one-hour gunbattle near a refugee camp.

Another spokesman, Lt. Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki, blamed the rebels for resuming hostilities and said military patrols had been increased.

"Our operations are continuing against GAM, especially as we get reports that the rebels are creating unrest," Basuki said.

Early today, suspected rebels also fired shots at officers guarding the home of Aceh's deputy police chief, located near the United Nations' relief headquarters in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, police and U.N. officials said. No casualties were reported.

Police returned fire but the rebels vanished into the city, police Sgt. Bambang Hariyanpo said. Police and U.N. officials said the U.N. building was not the target of the shooting.

The Indonesian government lifted restrictions on outsiders traveling to Aceh after the disaster, and thousands of workers from scores of aid agencies have rushed into the region.

Adding to security concerns is the appearance of Laskar Mujahidin, an extremist group with alleged links to al-Qaida, at an aid camp near the airport in Banda Aceh. The group said it was there to take part in the relief effort and to offer Islamic counseling.

Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly said Saturday that American troops taking part in the relief effort have taken precautions against possible attacks, though he said the likelihood of such strikes was remote.