Five killed in Indonesian security forces crackdown

Five people have been killed in the latest violence in Indonesia's Aceh province.

Hundreds of people fled their homes in Indonesia's Aceh province as security forces cracked down on suspected separatists.

The bloodshed came after President Abdurrahman Wahid ordered troops to target known separatists in villages and districts across the province.

Local residents said soldiers were searching house to house in the town of Lhokseumawe for guerrilla fighters.

"We are very worried. The soldiers are creating trouble when they patrol," said Erlina, who like many Indonesians uses only one name. She said hundreds of young men had fled the town, frightened of being accused of being members of the rebel Free Aceh Movement.

Lhokseumawe is located on Aceh's north-eastern tip and is close to vast natural gas fields owned by US energy giant Exxon-Mobil. The company suspended operations in the area last month due to security fears.

On Friday, rebels shot a policeman and a soldier to death in different parts of the province, said police chief Lieuntenant Colonel Sad Harunantyo.

He said security forces killed a rebel during a gun battle on Thursday.

The bodies of two civilians were also found on Friday in different locations, police and human rights workers said.

The rebels have been fighting to secede from Indonesia for 26 years. At least 6,000 people have died in the past decade. Aceh is about 1,100 miles northwest of Jakarta.