Flights from Medan to Lhokseumawe halted as tension escalates

Flights from Medan to Lhokseumawe, Aceh have been temporarily halted as tension escalates following the burning of ExxonMobil's four cars in the Padang Sakti village, Muara Dua, North Aceh on Monday, Media Indonesia reported Tuesday.

Sources said that flights to Banda Aceh and Medan were also stopped after the Malikussaleh and ExxonMobil air stripes in Lhokseumawe were temporarily closed after a hand grenade exploded near the Nibong mosque, some hundred meters from the two airports.

The chief of the local police Abadan Bangko said that the four minibuses were stopped by armed civilians when the automobiles were speeding to pick up employees of ExxonMobil in the area at around 6.30 in the morning on Monday. The unidentified group of civilians then burned the cars to ash after letting their passengers to get off the cars.

Meanwhile local newspaper Serambi reported that the vice chairman of the GAM pro-independence group in the area Sofyan Daud denied any involvement in the car burning. He blamed the incidents on the rivalry among members of the armed forces.

He said that some groups of the armed forces might get angry after ExxonMobil used non-organic security forces to guard the company's operations. "The burning of the cars might also due to jealousy by some local businessmen on ExxonMobil's unfair treatment outside companies," he said, adding that ExxonMobil's decision to prioritize companies outside the district to handle its projects had angered many local businessmen. (*)