Bombs terrorize Palu, police tighten up security
Erik W., The Jakarta Post, Palu
Unexploded bombs were discovered in several places in the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu on Friday, frightening locals further after a bomb blast one day earlier seriously injured three people outside the city's Marantha Bible School.
The bombs were discovered separately at the Palu Mitra Utama shopping center, the Bala Keselamatan Hospital, a government office on Jl. Cendrawasih and a kiosk on Jl. Tanjung Harapan.
The discoveries forced local authorities to tighten security in Palu, particularly at houses of worship and other public places, to prevent the situation from worsening.
Meanwhile, a suspected bomb found at Eklesia Pantekosta Church on Jl. Thamrin turned out to be a hoax.
Members of the provincial police's Mobile Brigade managed to defuse the homemade bombs at each place in the morning. However, the discovery of the bombs caused panic among local residents.
"Our life is not really safe," a woman on Jl. Tanjung Harapan told The Jakarta Post.
Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Zainal Abidin Ishak said the bomb scares showed the security situation in Palu was "extremely vulnerable".
"I ask police in districts and regency administrations to organize patrols. Anybody out after midnight needs to be questioned," he said.
Zainal said his office would soon set up a special team to deal with the terrorism in the city and hunt for the perpetrators and other culprits.
Asked whether rioters were moving to Palu as the conflict-torn town of Poso was under tight security, he said the provincial police were investigating possible links between the two incidents.
Poso has been the site of religious fighting since 2000, with thousands of people killed in clashes. Muslim and Christian leaders signed a peace deal last December but it appeared to be ineffective with the renewed outbreaks of violence.
Zainal called the bombing in front of the Marantha Bible School on Thursday "inhuman". The blast left two civilians and a policeman severely wounded.
Activities at the school returned to normal on Thursday, said its principal Rafles Loke. "May God forgive the bombers," he said, commenting on the incident.
Since early this year, Palu has had numerous bomb threats. The first bombs exploded at four churches on New Year's Eve, but no casualties were reported.
Three suspects, including Yono, who was a signatory to the peace deal, have been put on trial.
In June, another bomb blast damaged a roadside kiosk in Palu. No suspects were arrested in the incident.