Five killed in community clashes on Ambon island

AMBON, Maluku (JP): Community clashes broke out in three villages on Ambon Island on Tuesday morning, claiming at least five lives and destroying dozens of houses.

The clashes, which erupted separately at Hative Besar village in Teluk Ambon Baguala district, Galala village in Sirimau district and at Suli village in Salahutu district were believed to be related to a series of recent clashes in neighboring Saparua Island.

The three community clashes broke out on the first day of a "week of mourning" declared by the All-Maluku Protestant Churches calling for Christians to stay at home, pray and fast.

The clash in Hative Besar village, Teluk Ambon Baguala district, broke out on Tuesday morning when hundreds of men, clad in white Muslim clothes and suspected to be members of the Laskar Jihad force, initiated the attack by firing mortars and shooting sporadically.

Five locals died in the attack and at least 60 houses were razed. Another resident was reported missing. The dead were taken to Haulussy General Hospital in Ambon.

Dozens of Hative Besar residents were forced to flee their village on speed boats and take refuge in the Gudang Arang and Tapal Kuda areas in Nusaniwe district.

Security officers deployed to the location took measures to drive the rioters out of the village.

Meanwhile, Tial and Tulehu residents launched on Tuesday morning a second attack on neighboring Suli village. There were no immediate reports on fatalities.

The first clash on Monday in Suli village injured six residents and dozens of houses were destroyed. Hundreds took refuge in nearby Passo village.

Tuesday's attack came after police had pledged, following Monday's clash, to step up security by deploying five companies of military soldiers and three battalions of Mobile Brigade police along the border area between Suli and Tial villages.

In the third clash, residents from the Galunggung and Aster Pantui area in Sirimau district in Ambon attacked Galala village.

The attack forced Galala residents to seek shelter at Halong Naval base, some six kilometers east of Ambon.

One company of military soldiers and two others from the Mobile Brigade police units were deployed to restore security in the area while another two companies of Navy troops were dispatched to seal off Ambon Bay to prevent the rioters from entering neighboring areas.

Separately, three bombs exploded in the capital town of Ambon. Two bombs were planted at Silo Church in the Trikora area and another at the intersection of Jl. Raya Diponegoro and Jl. Urimessing. No fatalities were reported in the bombings which totally paralyzed the town.

Silo Church was destroyed during massive rioting on Dec. 26, 1999 but had since been rebuilt.

Antara news agency reported on Tuesday that a local priest was taken away by people in military uniforms and that his whereabouts remained unknown.

"We don't know whether they were soldiers or just civilians in soldier's uniforms. We don't know where they took him or his condition right now," a resident said. (49/lup)