Two Aceh Party's Cadres Shot

BY THE JAKARTA POST
Banda Aceh, TAG – Ayah Din and Raja Muda, both members of the Aceh Party (PA), were reportedly shot by unidentified assailants while traveling home from the swearing-in ceremony of the new Aceh governor in Banda Aceh on Monday.


They suffered shotgun wounds in the attack while driving in a car emblazoned with the party’s emblem, which was escorting Aceh Party sympathizers to Langsa, East Aceh.



Ayah Din suffered a wound to his jaw and is in critical condition, while his colleague, Raja Muda, sustained minor injuries.



The party supporters were traveling home after watching the inauguration of Zaini Abdullah and Muzakir Manaf as Aceh governor and vice governor for the 2012-2017 period.



Hostilities had already taken place earlier at the scene, with the former governor, Irwandi Yusuf, being punched in the face. 



He was beaten, allegedly by members of the Aceh Party, just a few moments after the ceremony had ended.



Irwandi was himself a member of the Aceh Party before parting company and seeking reelection as an independent candidate.



Police have ruled out any retaliatory motive behind the latest assault.



“We don’t see a connection between the physical attack against the former governor with the shooting incident,” Aceh police spokesman, Gustav Leo, said.



Based on eyewitness accounts, the shooting was committed by two perpetrators on a motorcycle. After the shooting, they immediately sped off toward Banda Aceh.



“We found an empty cartridge and 30 live bullets at the crime scene, including a magazine which they [the assailants] dropped,” said Gustav.



Based on preliminary investigations, the bullets are used in SS1 and M16 assault rifles.

However, the type of weapon used in this attack remains unclear.



“We have to send the projectiles and cartridge shell to the lab in Medan, North Sumatra to determine the type of weapon used by the perpetrators,” said Gustav.



Gustav said police were still investigating several incidents that took place during the swearing-in ceremony.



Police have also started to investigate the assault against Irwandi, as well as identifying several people who were involved in the incident. 



“We received a report from Irwandi and we have followed up on it. However, we must proceed carefully as we still need more evidence,” said Gustav.



The Aceh Party expressed its regret over the incident.



“We didn’t expect an incident like this would happen in conjunction with the swearing-in ceremony. This was beyond belief and we deeply regret it,” said Aceh Transition Commission (KPA) head, Kamaruddin Abubakar.



The KPA is an organization made up of former Aceh Freedom Movement (GAM) combatants under the auspices of the Aceh Party.[]


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