Five killed in community clashes on Ambon island<\/p>\n
AMBON, Maluku (JP): Community clashes broke out in three
\nvillages on Ambon Island on Tuesday morning, claiming at least
\nfive lives and destroying dozens of houses.<\/p>\n
The clashes, which erupted separately at Hative Besar village
\nin Teluk Ambon Baguala district, Galala village in Sirimau
\ndistrict and at Suli village in Salahutu district were believed
\nto be related to a series of recent clashes in neighboring
\nSaparua Island.<\/p>\n
The three community clashes broke out on the first day of a
\n\"week of mourning\" declared by the All-Maluku Protestant Churches
\ncalling for Christians to stay at home, pray and fast.<\/p>\n
The clash in Hative Besar village, Teluk Ambon Baguala
\ndistrict, broke out on Tuesday morning when hundreds of men, clad
\nin white Muslim clothes and suspected to be members of the Laskar
\nJihad force, initiated the attack by firing mortars and shooting
\nsporadically.<\/p>\n
Five locals died in the attack and at least 60 houses were
\nrazed. Another resident was reported missing. The dead were taken
\nto Haulussy General Hospital in Ambon.<\/p>\n
Dozens of Hative Besar residents were forced to flee their
\nvillage on speed boats and take refuge in the Gudang Arang and
\nTapal Kuda areas in Nusaniwe district.<\/p>\n
Security officers deployed to the location took measures to
\ndrive the rioters out of the village.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Tial and Tulehu residents launched on Tuesday
\nmorning a second attack on neighboring Suli village. There were
\nno immediate reports on fatalities.<\/p>\n
The first clash on Monday in Suli village injured six
\nresidents and dozens of houses were destroyed. Hundreds took
\nrefuge in nearby Passo village.<\/p>\n
Tuesday's attack came after police had pledged, following
\nMonday's clash, to step up security by deploying five companies
\nof military soldiers and three battalions of Mobile Brigade
\npolice along the border area between Suli and Tial villages.<\/p>\n
In the third clash, residents from the Galunggung and Aster
\nPantui area in Sirimau district in Ambon attacked Galala village.<\/p>\n
The attack forced Galala residents to seek shelter at Halong
\nNaval base, some six kilometers east of Ambon.<\/p>\n
One company of military soldiers and two others from the
\nMobile Brigade police units were deployed to restore security in
\nthe area while another two companies of Navy troops were
\ndispatched to seal off Ambon Bay to prevent the rioters from
\nentering neighboring areas.<\/p>\n
Separately, three bombs exploded in the capital town of Ambon.
\nTwo bombs were planted at Silo Church in the Trikora area and
\nanother at the intersection of Jl. Raya Diponegoro and Jl.
\nUrimessing. No fatalities were reported in the bombings which
\ntotally paralyzed the town.<\/p>\n
Silo Church was destroyed during massive rioting on Dec. 26,
\n1999 but had since been rebuilt.<\/p>\n
Antara news agency reported on Tuesday that a local priest was
\ntaken away by people in military uniforms and that his
\nwhereabouts remained unknown.<\/p>\n
\"We don't know whether they were soldiers or just civilians in
\nsoldier's uniforms. We don't know where they took him or his
\ncondition right now,\" a resident said. (49\/lup)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/five-killed-in-community-clashes-on-ambon-island-1447893297",
"image": ""
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