Three teachers rescued

Published: September 16, 2003 | 164th good news item since 2003

Helped by a tip from local villagers, the Indonesian military stormed a rebel hideout in war-wracked Aceh province and rescued three school teachers held hostage, a military spokesman said Sunday.
A fourth teacher remained in the hands of the Free Aceh Movement, which had demanded a ransom of 30 million rupiah (US$3,500) for the release of all four.

The teachers were allegedly kidnapped Friday morning from their school in the west Aceh town of Meureubo, and the military launched its rescue operation Saturday afternoon on the hideout about 15 km (9 miles) away, military spokesman Lt. Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki said.

A firefight broke out, Basuki said, enabling the three teachers to escape. No one was hurt in the fighting, he said, and troops confiscated ammunition, documents and cell phone numbers of rebel leaders.

“Based on the information and directions from local villagers, we learned where the teachers were being held,” Basuki said. “The teachers ran to safety after the fighting began.”

Published in Rescues
See also: