Ambon bomb blast kills four

The Jakarta Post, Ambon/Jakarta

At least four people were killed and 58 others wounded when a high-powered bomb exploded in the country's eastern town of Ambon on Wednesday, severely disrupting February's peace pact to end three years of bloodshed on the Maluku islands.

The death toll could increase as many of those wounded sustained serious injuries. Some of them suffered broken legs requiring them to be amputated, said local hospital officials. Local police confirmed the four deaths.

Shortly after the huge blast, the provincial governor's office was set ablaze by a mob of unidentified people when Christians stoned the building while protesting against the bombing.

Witnesses said the bomb was thrown into a crowd of people outside the Nelayan karaoke bar located in front of the Amboina Hotel on Jl. Kapitan Hulupaha, about 700 meters from the governor's office.

They said hands, arms and legs were found littered across the streets at the bomb site. The blast also shattered the windows of the six-story Amboina hotel and the karaoke bar.

The area was one of the city's crowded centers where Muslims and Christians used to mingle every day since the peace accord was signed on Feb. 12. It was also close to a bus stop where dozens of commuters usually got on and off public vehicles.

"The bomb was hurled into the crowd from a red Kijang van that passed the Nelayan karaoke bar," Adj. Sr. Comr. Jhony Tangkudung, detective chief of the Maluku Provincial Police, told The Jakarta Post, quoting reports from witnesses.

It was not clear whether the bombers were linked to religious hard-liners who opposed the peace agreement. No group has claimed responsibility for the powerful explosion that took place at around 11:30 a.m. local time.

However, Jhony said: "The car later drove off toward the Simpang Muslim area".

He said the bomb was a modified home-made explosive device of high intensity.

"I heard an extremely strong explosion from the Jl. Kapitan Hulupaha area," Andre J. Sitanala, general manager of a hotel located around 700 meters from the scene, told the Post.

"I could feel the tremor here," he said. His neighbors said the windows of their houses or shops shook during the explosion.

Andre said the blast sparked panic among local people and forced most of them to leave their workplaces as the local security authorities told them to stay home while they patrolled the city.

It also triggered anger among Christians and prompted thousands to converge on the nearby governor's office and torch parts of the complex at around 1:30 p.m., witnesses said.

"When the protesters were stoning the buildings, a fire erupted from the back of the office and later spread to other parts," a witness said.

Police fired warning shots over the heads of the protesters, who eventually dispersed.

The fire was not put out until late Wednesday night as there was only one fire truck available. It destroyed three floors of the office, including an office of Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina.

There were no reports of casualties in the fire, which forced civil servants to evacuate.

The four bodies and the 58 wounded victims were taken to Ambon's Haullusy General Hospital, Maluku Protestant Hospital and Bhakti Rahayu Hospital respectively for autopsies and medical treatment. The dead were identified as Henky Tohumuri, Julius Tomasoa, Marten Hatu and Ronny Keliwai.

Parts of Ambon were still tense on Wednesday night, with hundreds of police and troops guarding the explosion site and other parts of the city, but traffic had returned to normal by late afternoon.

It was the worst outbreak of violence since leaders of both warring factions signed the peace agreement in the hill resort of Malino in South Sulawesi.

Some 6,000 people have been killed during a cycle of religious conflict that first broke out on Jan. 19, 1999. Since the landmark February pact took effect, Maluku has been largely calm and there have been several rallies by Christians and Muslims to celebrate the agreement that has faced opposition from hard- liners.

The governor and the provincial police and military commanders met local Muslim and Christian leaders on Wednesday to discuss efforts to prevent more attacks.

Despite the peace accord, parts of the Maluku islands are still under a state of civil emergency. That allows security forces to search houses and detain suspects as well as clamp down on media they classify as provocative.

In Jakarta, Vice President Hamzah Haz urged the security authorities in Ambon to take resolute action against the bombers.