School burns down in war-torn province, no injuries

Описание: (8 Jun 2003)

1. Various of police patrolling in trucks
2. Various of police patrolling in the village of Simpang Ulim
3. Various of police firing into the air
4. Pan from soldier to burning school building
5. Various of burning school
6. Various of police watching burning school
7. More police officers arriving by truck
8. Police unloading equipment from truck

STORYLINE:

A school in village of Simpang Ulim in Indonesia's Aceh province burned down on Sunday in what is the latest fire in a string of arson attacks.

Sunday's fire devastated the school, which is normally home to 100 pupils aged 7 to 12 years.

Nobody was injured.

More than 400 schools in the province have been destroyed with the Indonesian military and the Free Aceh Movement accusing each other for the attacks.

A Western diplomat said on condition of anonymity that the rebels have a history of burning down schools.

He said the buildings were among the easiest government-owned targets and the arson attacks tended to divert the security forces' attention away from the battlefield.

Indonesia launched the current offensive and imposed martial law last month after talks aimed at saving a peace agreement collapsed.

Around 5000 rebels are fighting more than 30,000 government troops for independence of the oil- and gas-rich province.

It is estimated that about 12,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

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