Bomb jolts Ambon; one found in Poso<\/p>\n
Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post\/Poso, Central Sulawesi<\/p>\n
A bomb blast jolted Ambon early on Thursday as Muslims prepared
\nto celebrate Idul Fitri, and later in the afternoon, some
\nhundreds of kilometers away, residents in Poso found a homemade
\nbomb in what apparently was renewed efforts by terrorists to
\nreignite sectarian conflict in the two religiously divided areas.<\/p>\n
AFP reported that the blast in Ambon occurred at around 3.30
\na.m. on a sidewalk and caused no casualties.<\/p>\n
"It is estimated that it was a homemade bomb and the sound of
\nthe blast was quite strong," Second Inspector Ined Elwarin of
\nAmbon Police said. He declined to give further details.<\/p>\n
Five people near the blast scene were questioned by police.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the bomb found in Poso was safely defused by a bomb
\nsquad from the Central Sulawesi Police.<\/p>\n
The small device was first found by local sub-district
\nneighborhood chief Gustaf Tajongga, who saw a suspicious package
\nin front of his house at about 6 p.m., and immediately reported
\nit to the police. It took about an hour for the bomb squad to
\ndefuse the bomb.<\/p>\n
Tension, which were high in the morning, later dissipated as
\nMuslims celebrated Idul Fitri.<\/p>\n
Poso Police chief M. Sholeh said the people who planted the
\nbomb in front of the house clearly wanted to terrorize Muslim
\nresidents during the Idul Fitri celebration.<\/p>\n
He said that he believed the terrorists initially planned to
\nblow up the bomb in the morning when Muslims gathered for Idul
\nFitri prayers, but tight security in the area made it difficult
\nfor them to carry out their mission.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, thousands of Poso's Muslims gathered on Thursday at
\nthe Sintuwu Moso field in front of the regency office building to
\nhear an Idul Fitri sermon.<\/p>\n
Police and soldiers were also seen guarding several strategic
\nareas in the city.<\/p>\n
Security forces had earlier warned of possible attacks to
\ncoincide with the Idul Fitri holiday, following a small bomb that
\nexploded aboard a packed bus just south of Poso on Oct. 27, which
\nseriously injured several passengers.<\/p>\n
Tensions increased in Poso following the beheading murders of
\nthree Christian schoolgirls last Saturday, with about 1,000
\npolice and soldiers sent to the area amid fears of further
\nviolence.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Central Sulawesi Police chief Sr. Comsr. Oegroseno
\nsaid police now had descriptions of the schoolgirls' murderers.
\nHe declined to provide more details<\/p>\n
Poso was last hit by serious Muslim-Christian violence in 2000
\nand 2001, when more than 1,000 people died. Despite a government-
\nsponsored truce at the end of 2001, intermittent violence has
\ncontinued in the area.<\/p>",
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