German couple shot in Indonesia's Aceh province

A German couple have been shot in Indonesia’s war-torn Aceh province, where the army has launched a fierce offensive against separatist rebels.

Some reports said both Germans were killed in the shooting, but an Indonesian military official said the man had died and his wife was wounded.

Army operations commander Bambang Darmono said Luther Hendrick Albert, 54, was killed in a firefight last night. He said his 47-year-old wife Margaret was injured.

It was not immediately clear how the two were caught in the gun battle. No tourists are supposed to be in Aceh.

“Investigations found they had no permit to be in the area,” Bambang said. “The tourists had visas for Belawan in Sumatra.”

Indonesia launched its military campaign on May 19 and imposed martial law in Aceh after talks in Tokyo failed to salvage a December 9 peace agreement.

At the talks, the Free Aceh Movement rebels had rejected government demands to disarm and drop their independence bid.

Since the offensive began, the military and police have said the death toll has topped 100. Most of the victims have been rebels, but officials and the Indonesian Red Cross have said at least 20 civilians have also been killed.

More than 40,000 government troops are fighting about 5,000 poorly armed rebels in the oil and gas-rich province on the northern tip of Sumatra.