Four die in Pontianak officers' clash<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Four people died and a dozen others were
\nseverely injured on Tuesday when a brawl between members of an
\nArmy cavalry unit and the police's elite Mobile Brigade in the
\nWest Kalimantan capital of Pontianak turned into a shooting
\nspree.<\/p>\n
In a joint media conference later in the day, Pontianak
\nmilitary chief Col. Encip Kadarusman and police chief Col.
\nDarsono said an investigation into the case had begun.<\/p>\n
\"Two Mobile Brigade members and two others from the cavalry
\nunit died, while 12 others were wounded in the incident,\" Encip
\nsaid, as quoted by Antara. He did not say how many troops and
\npolice officers were involved in the gun battle or if anyone had
\nbeen detained for their involvement in the incident.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post was unable to contact the Armed Forces (ABRI)
\nspokesman for confirmation.<\/p>\n
The incident took place at 8:30 a.m. in the eastern outskirts
\nof Pontianak, on Jl. Adi Sucipto in Sungai Raya subdistrict,
\nwhich is located on the way to Supadio Airport.<\/p>\n
The Mobile Brigade's headquarters and housing complex are
\nlocated in the area, only about 75 meters away from the cavalry
\nunit's complex.<\/p>\n
West Kalimantan Governor Aspar Aswin, who attended the media
\nbriefing, appealed for calm and said he had handed over the
\nmatter to the respective units of the Armed Forces.<\/p>\n
Also attending the conference was National Mobile Brigade
\nCommander Brig. Gen. Sylvanus Y. Wenas.<\/p>\n
Darsono said the brawl started in the morning when members of
\nthe Mobile Brigade and the cavalry -- long known in West
\nKalimantan for a deep animosity toward one another -- met on the
\nstreet on their way home from separate exercises.<\/p>\n
He said the Mobile Brigade members were returning from a
\nparade tournament in connection with this year's 53rd Armed
\nForces anniversary on Oct. 5, while the cavalry troops were
\nreturning from an exercise to commemorate the state ideology
\nPancasila's Sanctity Day, which falls on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"They mocked one another when they met,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The incident did not end there on the street but continued
\nwhen the two groups arrived at their respective quarters.<\/p>\n
Witnesses said members of the cavalry unit then went out in
\ntheir armored vehicles and shot at the Mobile Brigade's
\nheadquarters. The Mobile Brigade members fought back with
\nshotguns.<\/p>\n
Witnesses also said the shooting spree went on for some 30
\nminutes, and ended only after the chiefs of the Pontianak Police
\nand the military arrived on the scene.<\/p>\n
A staff member at St. Antonius Hospital in Sei Jawi
\nsubdistrict in Pontianak said the hospital was treating nine
\nmembers of the Mobile Brigade.<\/p>\n
\"None died (yesterday),\" he told The Jakarta Post, while
\nasking for anonymity.<\/p>\n
An official at the Sudarso Hospital contacted by the Post
\nrefused to reveal how many Armed Forces members were being
\ntreated there.<\/p>\n
A source said that family members of the Mobile Brigade
\nofficers have been evacuated to the Air Force base at Supadio
\nAirport to avoid further clashes. (imn\/aan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/four-die-in-pontianak-officers-clash-1447893297",
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