Aceh separatist commander 'shot dead'

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- The military commander of the separatist Free Aceh Movement has been shot dead during a raid on his jungle base, Indonesian officials say.

Abdullah Syafei was shot in the chest by government troops on Tuesday during fierce fighting in Pidie district, northern Aceh on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, a military official told The Associated Press news agency.

Military sources contacted by CNN confirm that there was a battle in the area, and say it is likely that Syafei was killed.

His wife and five other rebels are also said to have been killed in the raid.

A spokesman for the group has not confirmed the report.

"We still can't verify the information," Zaini Abdullah told AP in a phone interview from Sweden, where the rebel government-in-exile is based.

"But even if he is dead, a thousand more will rise up to take his place."

Blow

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The death of the charismatic Syafei would deal a serious blow to the independence movement, under severe military pressure since President Megawati Sukarnoputri ordered a crackdown after taking office in July.

The rebel movement was launched in 1975 after years of military abuses in the rebellious region, on the northern tip of Sumatra island around 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) northwest of Jakarta.

Since then, thousands of people have been killed, including at least 1,400 people last year and about 100 in the first weeks of this year.

Repeated efforts to end the fighting in the resource-rich region have failed.

Crackdown

Separatists have been fighting for decades in resource-rich Aceh

Two years ago, the separatists and the government agreed to a cease-fire but it collapsed amid escalating bloodshed.

Megawati has since ordered security forces to crush the rebellion. Earlier this month, she agreed to set up a separate armed forces' command in Aceh to boost the military effort.

The move has been denounced by international human rights activists, who accuse the army of committing widespread abuses in Aceh, including running death squads that target civilians opposed to Indonesian rule.

Syafei, 45, was born in Matang, North Aceh. He joined the separatist movement at its outset and became its military commander in 1989.

He was a champion in trying to return Aceh to its former glory, says CNN's Atika Schubert in Jakarta.

The Indonesian military has been struggling to break the back of his movement for years and this is certainly a major victory for them, she adds.