LHOKSEUMAWE (Indonesia), May 24: The Indonesian military said on Saturday it is investigating reports its soldiers had killed civilians during an operation to crush separatist rebels in Aceh province.

Lt Col Yani Basuki, spokesman for the six-day-old operation, told reporters that two soldiers and two journalists from the respected Indonesian publication Tempo had begun their investigation on Saturday.

The probe was sparked by media reports of killings on Wednesday in a cluster of villages near Bireuen town.

“At this moment, today, we are launching an investigation,” Basuki said during a news conference.

“This is a response to media reactions which made it seem as if they were civilians. And we don’t close the possibility that if our frontline troops made a mistake and gave false reports, just wait. They will be brought to the military justice system.”

At the same time, he warned that if the investigation shows the media reports were not true and based on unclear sources “then the martial law legal process will be put into effect according to the authority it has.”

Aceh has been under martial law since Monday.—AFP