Gunshots Near U.N. Relief Site

Suspected separatist rebels fired shots early today near U.N. relief operations headquarters, officials said. There were no casualties.

Gunmen believed to be Free Aceh Movement rebels fired at officers guarding the home of Aceh province’s deputy police chief, about 100 yards from the United Nations building, police Sgt. Bambang Hariyanpo said. Police returned fire, but the guerrillas escaped, he said.

Police and U.N. officials said the relief headquarters was not the target. A truckload of soldiers arrived at the building shortly after the automatic gunfire was heard, a U.N. staffer said.

The attack underscores concerns about security during the relief effort in Aceh, which was devastated by the Dec. 26 tsunami.

For more than 20 years, the Free Aceh Movement has been fighting a low-intensity war against government troops for an independent homeland on the tip of Sumatra. After the disaster, it declared a unilateral cease-fire and the military said it would not target the rebels, but clashes have broken out.