Four killed as violence returns to touch Sampit

SAMPIT, Central Kalimantan (JP): Violence again cast its shadow over Sampit on Friday, over a month after ethnic clashes left hundreds of Madurese migrants dead in late February.

In fierce fighting some 40 kilometers west of Sampit, three Mobile Brigade police officers and one local Dayak lost their lives.

The officers killed on Friday were identified as the head of the Mobile Brigade platoon in Sampit, Second Adj. Insp. Dedy, Second Brig. Rico and Second Brig. Rohman.

Another policeman, Second Brig. Marwan, was seriously wounded in the violence. He was taken to Banjarmasin for treatment later in the afternoon.

The Dayak victim, who died of gunshot wounds, has yet to be identified.

Sampit Regent Wahyudi confirmed the fighting, but was unable to provide further details when contacted by The Jakarta Post.

"The situation in Sampit had become peaceful over the past few weeks. Things had become normal, schools had opened. What can I say now .... "

According to sources, the platoon of Mobile Brigade officers was traveling to Kota Waringin Barat, some 225 kilometers from Sampit, when they spotted several security posts manned by Dayaks.

The officers stopped to search the posts and found several guns. When the officers attempted to confiscate the weapons the Dayaks resisted and several officers opened fire, killing one Dayak.

The situation further deteriorated when the Dayaks, most of them armed with spears and swords, attacked the policemen.

Word of the clash reached Sampit several hours later, and police officers manning security posts along Jl. Achmad Yani were visibly upset at hearing of the deaths of their fellow officers.

The Central Sulawesi town of Poso was also touched by violence on Friday, with at least two people dying in a communal clash in the Kayamanya subdistrict. The violence began at about 9 a.m.

The fatalities remained unidentified, but are believed to be members of the armed group of attackers who stormed the predominantly Muslim subdistrict.

As of Friday afternoon, security personnel were deployed at a number of mosques in Poso in anticipation of retaliatory attacks from the opposing groups. The town was almost deserted with only a few public minivans operating, while most shops closed.

Separately in Tangkura subdistrict, gunshots and blasts were heard from Thursday night until the early hours of Friday.

Central Sulawesi Police Chief Brig. Gen. Ali Zainal Abidin confirmed the incidents.

He said a group of 300 armed attackers stormed into a police post in Tangkura late Thursday.

Two of the attackers were reportedly shot dead.

Meanwhile, local residents were shocked by the finding of a dead body floating on a river in Poso at around 7:00 a.m. Friday. The man was believed to have died of gunshot wounds.

Officer Abidin confirmed the finding, but speculated that the victim was a member of the armed group that attacked the Tangkura police post.

"During the attack, police shot dead two assailants but their bodies were taken away by their friends, so we cannot identify them," he said, adding that the situation in Poso was under control in the afternoon.

A shoot-on-sight order has also been issued against armed rioters who might endanger the lives of security personnel and civilians.

He believed that there were groups of provocateurs in Poso attempting to spread distorted information and hatred against security forces.

Another police post was attacked on Tuesday in Sayo subdistrict, killing three people including a police officer and a local woman.

On Thursday, the Palu District Court sentenced to death Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus da Silva, and Don Marinus Riwu for plotting last year's communal clashes, who killed at least 200 people. The three were said to be leaders of the Christian red group.

During the hearing, Tibo handed out a list of 16 names of people allegedly involved in last year's killings. (24/32/emf/sur)