JAKARTA Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Aceh Province on Sunday said they were ready for war with Jakarta, dashing hopes of a speedy and peaceful end to one of the country's longest rebellions.

"Due to the fact that Indonesia has declared war through their new policy which has the purpose of slaughtering our people... We declare we are ready for war," Sofyan Daud, a deputy war commander of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), told Reuters.

"But we are in a waiting position. We will only strike after they make their move."

Last week Jakarta unveiled new security plans for the restive territory but emphasized that they would not resemble the fatal military operations in the 1990s which analysts say helped boost GAM's cause.

The GAM statement, seen as a virtual declaration of war, may finally end a shaky cease-fire which has held, although often violated by both sides, since the earlier military operations, and was seen as likely to trigger a tough reaction from the Indonesian military.