Separatists in Indonesia's Aceh province have released a total of 138 hostages in the past three days, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Tuesday.
In a joint statement with the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), the ICRC said that based on an agreement between the government and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), the Red Cross "officially received the people at a number of locations in the district" of East Aceh.
The Indonesian military had set a midnight Monday deadline for GAM to release more than 200 hostages the rebels said they would free.
A group of 48 people were released in Lhok Juk, in the East Aceh sub-district of Peudawa, shortly before dusk on Monday.
Local GAM spokesman Teuku Cut Kafrawi told AFP in Jakarta on Monday that not all those being held had reached Peudawa but those there would be released to the ICRC.
All hostages have been transported to the district capital of Langsa about 60 kilometres (37 miles) south-east of Peudawa.
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