124 arrested over latest Poso violence<\/p>\n
MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): At least 124 people were
\narrested over the weekend for their alleged involvement in
\ncommunal clashes in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso, local
\nsecurity officers said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Sgt. Wasrul, a member of the local security task force, told
\nThe Jakarta Post by phone from Poso that the people were arrested
\nduring a search operation by security forces in Kolonedalle
\nvillage in Morowali regency.<\/p>\n
Wasrul said that a team of security personnel was dispatched
\nto Kolonedalle after they were tipped off that the alleged
\nrioters were in the village.<\/p>\n
Witnesses said that before the arrest, a 10-minute shootout
\ntook place between security forces and the alleged rioters, who
\nwere suspected of inciting riots and attacking intercity buses in
\nthe area.<\/p>\n
Unconfirmed reports said that some of the rioters were armed
\nwith the American-made M-16 automatic rifles and wearing military
\nfatigues.<\/p>\n
Authorities said last week that at least 29 security personnel
\nhad been arrested and seven of them were believed to have been
\ninvolved in the Poso violence.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the local security task force Lt. Agus Salim
\nconfirmed that there had been an exchange of fire and said that
\nsecurity forces had also confiscated hundreds of homemade
\nweapons.<\/p>\n
He said that a total of 124 people were arrested after
\nsecurity personnel launched a 30-minute search operation in the
\narea.<\/p>\n
Security forces have been mounting intensive search operations
\nin the last few days to locate bodies reportedly buried in a
\nnumber of mass graves or hidden in the jungle.<\/p>\n
A local military leader said last week that at least 211
\nbodies, believed to be the victims of the violence that first
\nerupted in Poso in April, were found in a number of mass graves.<\/p>\n
A series of joint military and police searches between May 23
\nand July 4 uncovered 127 bodies in mass graves along Poso River,
\n39 in Tagolu village, 11 in swamps in Lembah Sintuwu village and
\n34 in jungle ravines near Pandiri village.<\/p>\n
Witnesses said, however, that as of Sunday, security
\npersonnel had only been able to evacuate some 64 bodies.<\/p>\n
Local authorities said that the death toll was likely to rise
\nas police and military continued their searches.<\/p>\n
Observers believe that the Poso communal clashes are connected
\nwith the prolonged violence in Maluku, where more than 3,000
\npeople have been killed since the conflict erupted in January
\n1999.(27\/byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/124-arrested-over-latest-poso-violence-1447893297",
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