Indonesian troops begin leaving war-torn Aceh

Indonesia started withdrawing soldiers from war-torn Aceh province today as part of an agreement reached last week to end almost three decades of separatist fighting.

More than 1,250 troops stationed near Lhokseumawe, the second largest city in Aceh, left port on navy vessels – the first of more than 22,000 soldiers who will pull out of the oil and gas-rich province by the year’s end, said an army spokesman.