Local residents in Aceh heard mortar and gunfire in a swampy area where a thousand troops have surrounded several dozen separatist rebels. Apparently, most of the rebels tried to break through the cordon and the soldiers caught them. Some rebels were hit, but the rest pulled back to their fortified positions. Troops are slowly moving closer to the well hidden rebel positions. By identifying the exact location of the rebel positions, the army can use mortar and machine-gun fire to damage or destroy them. The rebels are apparently not getting much, if any, food and eventually that will reduce their ability to fight back. The area where the troops are operating is about nine kilometers long and one kilometer wide.