Kopassus 'not E. Java killers'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) denied on Monday the
\ninvolvement of members of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) in
\nmysterious killings in East Java which have claimed more than 150
\nlives, mostly black magic practitioners and Islamic teachers.<\/p>\n
\"It is not true. If there were Kopassus members who deserted
\ntheir posts and were involved in the killings, they must have
\nbeen arrested by the authorities,\" Syamsul Ma'arif, ABRI's
\nspokesman, was quoted as saying by Antara news service.<\/p>\n
He said the cases were purely criminal and there was no
\nindication of other motives. East Java Police chief Maj. Gen M.
\nDayat said on Friday the police had arrested 334 people suspected
\nof involvement in the murders, and dossiers of 52 of them would
\nbe forwarded to the local prosecutor's office.<\/p>\n
In the provincial capital of Surabaya, Brawijaya Regional
\nMilitary Commander Maj. Gen. Djoko Subroto appealed for calm
\namong locals who have taken the law into their own hands against
\nsuspected killers in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
The murders have been attributed to \"ninjas\", so called
\nbecause the marauding bands of men operating at night are usually
\ndressed in black and wear masks.<\/p>\n
Suspicious mobs in several East Java districts have attacked
\nat least 24 people suspected of being killers, slaying 10 of
\nthem.<\/p>\n
On Saturday hundreds of people, angered when police refused to
\nhand over a suspected killer to them, rioted in the East Java
\ntown of Pasuruan. The violence broke out after a man, suspected
\nof being involved in the killings and terrorization of local
\nMoslem leaders, was arrested on the highway in the nearby
\nKetapaan area. (byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kopassus-not-e-java-killers-1447893297",
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