Tentena blasts kills 22<\/p>\n
Ruslan Sangadji and Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Palu\/Makassar<\/p>\n
Fears over renewed sectarian clashes are abound after two bombs
\nripped through a crowded market in Tentena town, Poso regency, on
\nSaturday, killing at least 22 people and wounding some 30 others.<\/p>\n
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar visited the bombing
\nsite only hours after the morning explosion in order to boost
\nconfidence among the people that the security forces were on top
\nof the situation.<\/p>\n
The visit was also aimed at cooling down the situation in the
\npredominantly Christian area, some 60 kilometers south of Poso
\ntown, which has been the flash point of sectarian violence in
\nrecent years.<\/p>\n
In Makassar, South Sulawesi, Vice President Jusuf Kalla
\nstrongly condemned the bombing and vowed that he would visit
\nPalu, the capital of Central Sulawesi, to organize measures that
\ncould help maintain peace in the conflict torn area.<\/p>\n
Witnesses said that the first explosion took place at 8 a.m in
\nTentena market, which was packed with people doing weekend
\nshopping. The second blast occurred 15 minutes later outside a
\nbranch of Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI).<\/p>\n
Andi Asikin Suyuti, the acting regent of Poso, said that a
\nthird explosive device had been found and defused by a police
\nbomb squad outside a Christian church in town.<\/p>\n
Among the fatalities in the explosion were Reverend Deny
\nDalelia, a two-and-a-half-year-old infant named Andreas Pompangi
\nand local community leader Suryati Munango. All the injured
\nvictims were brought to Tentena Hospital for treatment. \"There is
\nfear that more people will die as some have very serious
\ninjuries,\" said Tentena resident Obet Rombot.<\/p>\n
The hospital staff were struggling to keep the injured people
\nalive as supplies of medicine and trained staff were limited.<\/p>\n
\"Around 20 people were badly wounded and they are quite weak.
\nMany of the patients' internal organs have been damaged,\" Sofia
\nLatuperisa, a dentist helping the injured, told AFP.<\/p>\n
The morning explosion in Tentena was the second largest bomb
\nattack to take place in the country in terms of number of
\nfatalities after the Bali bombing three years ago that claimed
\nthe lives of over 200 people, mostly foreign tourists.<\/p>\n
The most recent major bombing in the riot torn regency of Poso
\nwas in November 2004, a day before Muslims celebrated Idul Fitri.
\nThe bomb that hit a public transportation minibus in a
\npredominantly Muslim area in Poso town claimed the lives of six
\npeople.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the Tentena bombing, a Christian leader said
\nthat the bombing had nothing to do with religion. Muslims and
\nChristians in the area have been enjoying warm relations in
\nrecent years after sectarian conflict in 2000 that killed some
\n2,000 Muslims and Christians, said secretary-general of the
\nCentral Sulawesi Christian Church Synod Irianto Kongkoli.<\/p>\n
\"I suspect that the explosion had something to do with
\ncompetition among candidates in the upcoming direct elections in
\nthe regency in June,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The situation in Tentena was tense after the explosion.
\nStreets were deserted as people were worried that more explosions
\nwould take place in town. A security clampdown was imposed in
\ntown with security personnel holding random checks on passersby.<\/p>\n
The motive behind the bombing is still unclear, said police
\nspokesman Insp. Gen. Aryanto Budihardjo.<\/p>\n
The police are currently examining the explosive device that
\ncould lead to the perpetrators behind the case, he said. The two-
\nstar police general said that no foreigners were hurt in the
\nbombing.<\/p>",
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