ACEH POLICE ARREST ALLEGED MEMBERS OF ARMED GROUP

Banda Aceh, Feb 23 (ANTARA) - Police in Aceh on Tuesday arrested three men believed to be members of an armed group involved in a firefight with the police in a forest in Jantho, Aceh Besar, recently.

Aceh regional police chief Inspector General Adityawarman said here on Tuesday the three arrested men are ZR (27), IH (40) from Pandeglang, Banten and YZ (27) from Banda Aceh.

From them the police confiscated knives, telescopes, uniforms and VCDs as evidence. They also confiscated shirts with words written on them "Abu Mush'ab" and "Makhab Aly Wahdah Makassar" and a million rupiah in cash money.

Around 50 armed men are believed to have conducted training in the Jantho forest on the slope of Mt Seulawah bordering with several districts in Aceh.

The police have conducted surveillance for the past few months but only on Wednesday did the police come across with the three.

During the firefight two civilians were shot for being mistaken as the group members as they were carrying fishing rods the police saw like guns. One of them died in the hospital while the other suffered a serious wound.

The police had actually asked them to stop but they kept walking probably out of ignorance of the situation and therefore the police had shot them.

After the incident the police deployed hundred forces to seal the location believed to be the group's headquarters.

National police chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri meanwhile said that the police had arrested three people believed to be involved in a terrorism case.

Met by newsmen after attending a parliamentary meeting on Tuesday he said they arrested them in Aceh.

"The spokesman will explain about it later," he said.

He declined to tell the identities of them and their involvement in terrorism.

According to the law the police may hold persons for maximally seven days for questioning before being declared as suspects.