'Six more people have been killed in the latest violence involving government forces and separatist rebels.'

'Strike from this Wednesday to Friday to protest at what it calls brutality by police and troops and at Jakarta's plan to set up a separate military command for Acheh.'

Six more people have been killed in the latest violence involving government forces and separatist rebels, the army and humanitarian activists said.

The army is deploying all available forces from Monday to counter the call for a general strike from the separatist Free Acheh Movement (GAM), the head of military operations in Acheh, Brigadier General Jali Yusuf, said Sunday.

Yusuf, quoted by Serambi newspaper, said his men had been ordered to open fire to foil attempts to halt traffic by burning vehicles or felling trees over the road.

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"Those found felling trees to hinder traffic, I have ordered to shoot them. Do not blame me, because these (actions) are against the public interest," Yusuf said.

"I have ordered my soldiers to shoot, I will take firm action against anyone disturbing the (public interest)," he was quoted as saying.

Yusuf said police and troops would make all their vehicles available for public transport if operators halted services following the rebel call for the strike.

GAM has called the strike from this Wednesday to Friday to protest at what it calls brutality by police and troops and at Jakarta's plan to set up a separate military command for Acheh.

In the latest bloodshed two suspected rebels were killed in a military raid on a suspected rebel hideout at Jaya in West Acheh on Sunday, said an Acheh military spokesman, Major Ertoto (eds: one name).

Two bodies with gunshot wounds were found in a river at Krueng Cut on the outskirts of Banda Acheh on Sunday, a local humanitarian activist said.

Two other bodies with gunshot wounds were found at Karang Baru in East Acheh on Sunday, a local resident said.

The casualties brought the number of deaths in Acheh in the first two weeks of the year to 86. An estimated 10,000 people have been killed since then.

Separatist unrest in Acheh on the tip of Sumatra island has been fuelled by years of human rights abuses by the military and by the central government's draining of the region's rich oil and gas resources.

© 2002 Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved.