Gunmen attack former Indonesian rebel's house, kill child

Jun 4, 2007, 6:59 GMT

Jakarta - Unidentified gunmen attacked the house of a former rebel in Indonesia's Aceh province, killing his 4-year-old daughter and seriously wounding the ex-separatist and his wife, police and local media reports said Monday.

The incident occurred early Sunday when a group of about five gunmen burst into the house of Badruddin, once a member of the now-defunct Free Aceh Movement (GAM), spraying bullets at him and his family as they slept, the Aceh-based Serambi daily newspaper reported.

Aceh, which lies of the northern tip of Sumatra Island, some 2,100 kilometres north-west of Jakarta, is in the midst of a fragile peace process following nearly three decades of war between the Indonesian military and GAM guerrillas. The province is simultaneously rebuilding from the 2004 Asian Tsunami, which killed some 177,000 people in Aceh alone.

The attack occurred in Seunebok Baro village in Bireuen district.

The girl, Alfinurrahman, was sleeping with her parents and died after being struck in the head by a bullet. Badruddin, 35, and his wife, Ainal Mardiah, 30, suffered serious gunshot wounds in the attack but survived.

Witnesses were quoted as saying that nearby residents heard a series of gunshots, but only dared to venture out of their homes after the attacked ended.

The residents founded the girl's bleeding body on the floor inside the house, not far away from her parents, the news report said.

Badruddin and his wife were taken to hospital in Bireuen district town but due to their serious conditions, were later transferred to a better hospital in the city of Lhokseumawe in North Aceh district.

An official at the Bireuen district police office, who did not want to be named, confirmed the shooting incident, but declined to give further details, saying an investigation was 'now still underway.'

It was the latest violence targeted at former rebels or their supporters in recent weeks. Last month, an unidentified person tossed a grenade into the yard of the former rebel leader's residence, shattering windows but causing no injuries.

Under a peace agreement signed in August 2005, GAM agreed to stop fighting and form a political party in return for amnesty and special autonomy. In December 2006, a former GAM member was elected governor in Aceh's first-ever direct poll.

However, suspicions between the military and GAM run deep, and there are fears that provocateurs are attempting to scuttle the peace agreement.