Bomb, village attack mar Idul Fitri in Poso

Irvan NR, The Jakarta Post, Palu, Central Sulawesi

Tension marred the Idul Fitri celebration in Poso as a bomb exploded near a housing complex in Lawanga subdistrict early on Wednesday, just hours after a group of unidentified men opened fire in a neighboring village.

No casualties were reported in either incident, which came after security officials in Jakarta announced that Idul Fitri had passed peacefully across the country.

Residents of the housing complex in Lawanga, located about five kilometers from the blast site on Jl. Pulau Irian, Tanah Runtuh, said they were shaken by the sound of the explosion.

The police bomb squad arrived immediately to the site and confirmed the blast was a homemade explosive.

Adj. Sr. Comr. Agil Assegaf, spokesman for the police's Sintuwu Maroso task force, said on Wednesday that the squad defused another homemade bomb and said the site was the only target, negating rumors that other bangs came from similar devices.

"There was only one homemade bomb, which exploded just now, while the other sounds came from firecrackers," he said.

People traditionally set off firecrackers on the eve of Idul Fitri.

Hours before the explosion at around 10 a.m., a group of dozens of unidentified men opened fire in Bukit Bambu village, Lawanga, forcing the police to evacuate 53 families to an office compound belonging to the state television station TVRI.

Poso Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Abdi Darma said the attackers merely aimed to create fear among residents and did not intend to kill or wound them.

To prevent any other attacks, the police deployed three units of joint police and military personnel to the area.

Bukit Bambu village is also known as a border town between Muslim and Christian villages.

"We have also tasked the joint team with hunting down the attackers. The situation has now returned to normal and I expect people not to be provoked by the two incidents," Abdi said.

Sectarian clashes between Muslims and Christians flared up in Poso from 1999 to 2001 and claimed about 2,000 lives.

The government brokered the Malino I accord in December 2001, bringing relative peace, but sporadic violence continued.

The situation began to deteriorate again in Poso following the Oct. 12 attack by masked gunmen in the regency and in neighboring Morowali regency, killing at least 10 people.

Commenting on the heightened security situation in Poso, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned of possible nationwide terror acts by certain groups, including the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

"I urge people, especially those who are living in Poso, not to overreact in the present situation. Please be wise and stop those activities only aimed at provoking people," he said as quoted by Antara on Wednesday.

Despite the incidents in Poso, he said the security situation over the two-day Idul Fitri celebration was relatively calm.