20 January 2004	Tuesday	27 Ziqa'ad 1424

BANDA ACEH, Jan 19: Indonesian troops have shot dead eight guerillas and seized several weapons in Aceh province, the military said on Monday.

Provincial military spokesman Asep Sapari also accused guerillas of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) of injuring three civilians by throwing a grenade into a building in East Aceh on Sunday.

Marines shot dead five of them and confiscated four automatic rifles and hundreds of rounds after a clash on Sunday, Sapari said. Troops from one of the new 'raider' battalions killed another two guerillas and found an automatic rifle after fighting in the same district later the same day, he said.

The spokesman said a fighter was also captured during a raid in North Aceh on Saturday while six rebels surrendered in different areas on Sunday.-AFP