Gunfire Breaks Out in Indonesia Disaster Zone
Saturday, January 08, 2005
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — Suspected rebels fired shots early Sunday at the home
of a top police official near the United Nations' (search) relief headquarters
in the tsunami-ravaged Indonesian city of Banda Aceh, officials said. There
were no casualties.
An unspecified number of Free Aceh Movement (search) rebels fired at officers
guarding the home of Aceh province's deputy police chief, located about 100
meters (yards) from the U.N. building, said police Sgt. Bambang Hariyanpo.
Police returned fire but the rebels vanished into the city, he said, adding
authorities were investigating the incident.
Police and U.N. officials said the U.N.'s relief headquarters was not the
target of the shooting, in which there were no casualties.
A truckload of soldiers arrived outside the building shortly after the
automatic gunfire was heard, a U.N. staffer said on condition of anonymity.
The shooting underscores concerns about security during the relief effort in
Aceh, which was devastated by the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami.
The Free Aceh rebels have been fighting a low-level war against Indonesian
troops for an independent homeland in Aceh for more than 20 years. They
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
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