(11 Jun 2003)
1. Exterior of empty building in Meureudu Village in Pidie District with Indonesian army soldiers shooting towards building while under fire
2. Soldiers moving towards building while shooting continues
3. Shooting stops from inside and soldiers enter building
4. Soldiers shooting from inside of building at rebels now located outside building
5. Soldiers reloading weapons
6. Continued shooting from inside building towards rebels
7. Indonesian Commander listening to radio listening to headquarters, says it's now clear outside
8. Street outside building car passing soldiers
9. Soldiers walking on street
STORYLINE:
Fighting between government forces and rebels in Indonesia is continuing, with soldiers engaging rebels in a gunfight in a village 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the city of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province.
An APTN crew found themselves in the middle of the fighting and filmed soldiers firing at a group of rebels who then fled into the jungle.
It isn't known if anyone was killed or injured during the skirmish on Wednesday, which took place in Meureudu Village in the Pidie District.
Rebels from the Free Aceh Movement have been fighting for independence in Aceh since 1976.
The government launched a fresh offensive in May aimed at crushing the guerrilla group. So far, more than 150 people have been killed in fighting.
A number of journalists working in Aceh have also been caught up in the conflict.
On Tuesday, a New York-based journalism watchdog has urged Indonesia to ensure the safety of an American journalist who disappeared after he reportedly came under fire from government troops in war-torn Aceh.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) wrote a letter to Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri saying that William Nessen was travelling with separatist rebels in the province.
The letter said Nessen called his wife earlier this week to say he was attempting to surrender to government troops, but that he was fired upon by soldiers. It said the phone went dead and he hasn't been heard from since.
The CPJ said Nessen had worked for "years" in Aceh as a photographer and reporter and written for The Boston Globe, The Sydney Morning Herald, and the British newspaper The Independent.
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