| An Indonesian soldier and eight separatist rebels have been killed in the latest clashes in restive Aceh province, the military said Saturday. The soldier and five rebels were killed in an encounter at Bandar Dua in Pidie district on Friday, military spokesman Ari Mulya Asnawi said. Two other troops were injured in the clash. Also on Friday, troops killed three rebels in three separate locations in East Aceh, the spokesman said. Asmawi said guerrillas abducted two civilians in East Aceh on Friday. Rebel spokesmen could not be reached for comment. An estimated 12,000 people - many of them civilians - have been killed since Free Aceh Movement rebels began their insurgency in 1976, with rights groups accusing both troops and the guerrillas of widespread abuses. |