Gunmen trigger chaos in Maluku
Gunmen trigger chaos in Maluku
After weeks of tense calm, strife-torn Maluku was rocked by a
series of gunfights and shootings initiated by armed rioters, an
official said Sunday.
Civil emergency spokesman Maj. Marthen Luther Djari confirmed
that at least two shooting incidents broke out on Sunday.
According to witnesses, at least two people were killed and a
man was injured in the melee, but no immediate official
confirmation was available.
Late on Saturday, however, the security forces arrested two
alleged rioters carrying a five-kilogram explosive at Jl. Sultan
Hairun in central Ambon, located between City Hall and the
gubernatorial office around 11:30 p.m. One of the suspects was
identified as a renegade military soldier.
"He (the soldier) is now in custody at the Pattimura military
police headquarters for further investigation. Pattimura Military
chief (Brig. Gen. Mustopo) has ordered a full probe on the case
to further reveal the network of the rioters," officer Marthen
said, declining to reveal the soldier's identity.
On Sunday around 8:30 a.m. local time unidentified gunmen from
Tanjung Kulur opened fire and shot a 60-year-old fisherman named
Abdul Hamid, a resident of Kulur village.
Abdul was shot in the back while fishing on his boat in the
water off the village in Saparua island, Central Maluku regency.
"Abdul has been evacuated to Ambon for further treatment," the
officer said.
The shooting apparently triggered the chaos between
predominantly-Muslim Kulur village and neighboring predominantly-
Christian Porto village, Marthen added.
Tension was rising in the area but the security forces have
reportedly quelled the situation.
Reports also said that two people were killed in another
incident in between Kulur and Porto villages on Sunday, but no
immediate confirmation was available.
On Sunday, another gunfight broke out between armed rioters
and police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) on the border of Suli and
Tial villages in the Ambon islands. Tial is a predominantly
Muslim village. --JP