Indonesian troops carry out anti-rebel actions

Bireun, North Aceh 1. Various of Indonesian soldiers in armoured vehicles and trucks driving along streets 2. Various of soldiers patrolling on foot 3. Soldiers under cover of trees 4. Various of soldiers walking along on patrol Lhokseumawe, North Aceh 5. Wide shot of Indonesian military headquarters 6. Close up shot of Indonesian flag 7. Various of Indonesian chief of armed forces Endriartono Sutarto speaking to journalists 8. SOUNDBITE: (Indonesian) Endriartono Sutarto, Indonesian chief of armed forces: "Show yourselves (rebels) and stop using people as human shields. Stop using local people to create opinions. Face our soldiers in the battlefields. Once more, stop sacrificing innocent lives." 9. Cutaway military officer 10. Sutarto walks away Bireun, North Aceh 11. Armoured cars lined up on road 12. Body of a child with bloodied face laid out on ground (killed during fighting but not clear if by rebels or army) 13. Red Cross workers take another body to ambulance (killed during fighting but not clear if by rebels or army) 14. Close up shot of a woman and her child crying 15. Covered body inside house (killed during fighting but not clear if by rebels or army), relatives beside 16. Crowd outside house of dead person STORYLINE: Helicopters fired rockets at rebel bases and troops were ordered to shoot arsonists on sight on Wednesday as Indonesia's military intensified its offensive against separatist guerrillas in Aceh province. There were conflicting reports of casualties - senior army officers said soldiers killed ten rebels across the province on the third and bloodiest day of the assault, but separatists put the death toll at 13, including 10 civilians. The Indonesian Red Cross said there were 10 fatalities. There were no reports of military casualties. The operation, the largest since Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975, was ordered by President Megawati Sukarnoputri after weekend peace talks in Tokyo broke down. Most of the fighting on Wednesday was close to the northern town of Bireun, where military sources said seven rebels were killed. There were also at least three civilian casualties, including a young boy, but it was not clear if they were killed by the army or rebels. Troops had earlier moved into the northern rebel strongholds of Bireun and Pidie, which have seen the worst fighting and arson. Indonesian chief of armed forces Endriartono Sutarto made a direct appeal to the rebels not to use innocent people as human shields and to face his soldiers on the battlefield. At least 12-thousand people - many of them civilians caught in the crossfire - have been killed in the province, 900 kilometres (1,200 miles) northwest of Jakarta, since 1976. Human rights groups urged the government to protect civilians and warned the offensive could lead to new abuses by Indonesia's military, which already has a long record of abuse in the province of 4.3 (m) million people. The resumption of hostilities has alarmed world leaders, who have urged Indonesia to restart talks with the rebels, though none have criticised Jakarta's hardline stance. The talks in Tokyo collapsed on Sunday when rebels rejected Jakarta's demands to lay down their weapons and accept autonomy instead of independence. The region has a distinct language, culture and a stricter brand of Islam than is practised in the rest of Indonesia. Critics say the latest offensive was launched to prevent the vast archipelago nation from breaking apart. Extortion, drug running and arms smuggling have led elements on both sides to prefer the status quo over peace. Also at stake are huge reserves of oil and gas that locals want to keep for themselves. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/3ee8bab4169be9c30ad97ecaa28f61e1 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork