Rebels steal explosives from ExxonMobil's warehouse

Rebels grouped in the Free Aceh Movement have stolen explosives from an American-owned oil and gas company in Lhokseumawe, in the northern part of the troubled province of Aceh, AP news agency reported.

Supt. Abadan Bangko, a local police chief, said rebels took on Tuesday 1,600 packets of explosives from an Exxon Mobil Oil Indonesia Inc. warehouse near Mamplam village in North Aceh, about 1,750 kilometers northwest of Jakarta.

He didn't specify what type of explosives were taken or how large each packet was. However, Bangko said the explosives were commonly used for mining purposes.

Officials at Exxon Mobil's offices in Jakarta and Aceh weren't immediately available for comment.

Rebel spokesman Abu Sofyan Daud denied the theft allegations. He said the company warehouses were well guarded and the separatists wouldn't risk an attack on them.

The Free Aceh Movement has been waging a bloody struggle against Indonesian rule for more than 25 years. More than 5,500 people have perished in the fighting in the past decade.

ExxonMobil exports oil and natural gas from Aceh, a resource-rich province on the northern tip of Sumatra island. (*)