Lhokseumawe, Indonesia, Sept 18, SPA -- The first batch of about30,000 Indonesian troops due to withdraw from Aceh under apeace deal set sail from the tsunami-battered provinceSunday, honoring a key concession in the accord to end oneof Southeast Asia's longest-running wars. Some 800 chanting troops carrying bags and automaticweapons waved their helmets in the air as they marchedaboard the warship, which departed for the city of Medan onSumatra island, said Lt. Col. Eri Soetiko, a local militarycommander. A peace agreement signed last month in Finland between thegovernment and Acehnese rebels is seen as Aceh's bestchance in years to permanently end three decades offighting that has killed nearly 15,000 people, according to a report of The Associated Press. Earlier this week, Free Aceh Movement, or GAM, rebelssurrendered more than a quarter of their 840 weapons to EUand Southeast Asian peace monitors, with the remainder tobe handed over by Dec. 31. Sunday's troop withdrawal marked the official beginning ofthe first phase in a gradual reduction of military andpolice units in the region that is linked to thedecommissioning process. Around 1,000 troops left Aceh last month as a goodwillgesture. About 6,000 Indonesian troops are slated to leave in thenext few weeks, and another 24,000 in the months thatfollow. Some 25,000 will remain behind.--SP1301 Local Time 1001 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/290095