(25 May 2003)
LIVEWIRE QUALITY AS INCOMING
1. Indonesian soldiers lying down in grass taking aim
2. Various of Indonesian troops firing from armoured personnel carrier (APC)
3. Various of Indonesian troops taking aim
4. Troops checking civilians
5. APCs moving away
STORYLINE:
On the third day of martial law in Aceh, Indonesian troops came under fire from rebels on Wednesday in the village of Lampu'u just 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of the capital Banda Aceh.
The fierce fighting between separatist rebels and the military in Indonesia's Aceh province on the island of Sumatra, killed 13 people on Wednesday, a rebel spokesman said.
A spokesman for the Free Aceh Movement, known by its Indonesian acronym GAM, said the 13, including 10 civilians, were killed during an attack about 2 kilometres (a mile) east of the northern Acehnese town of Bireun.
The reported fighting is the bloodiest yet since Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri declared martial law and an all-out military offensive in Aceh after weekend peace talks in Tokyo broke down.
Before Wednesday's clash, troops had killed at least 12 rebels since the offensive began.
Unidentified men have also torched more than 150 schools since the beginning of the campaign, Indonesia's largest offensive since it invaded East Timor in 1975. Both sides have accused each other of carrying out the burnings.
Earlier on Wednesday, an Aceh military commander said an unspecified number of troops were moving into the northern rebel strongholds of Bireun and Pidie, which have seen the worst fighting and arson.
The resumption of hostilities has alarmed world leaders, who have urged Indonesia to restart talks with the rebels, though none have criticised Jakarta's hardline stance.
The talks in Tokyo collapsed on Sunday when rebels rejected Jakarta's demands to lay down their weapons and accept autonomy instead of independence.
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