More bombs, weapons found in Poso

PALU, Central Sulawesi: Security personnel again found on Sunday 21 homemade live bombs in Poso Pesisir district during a door-to-door search for arms, only a day after the discovery of 17 live bombs in the same district.

Besides the bombs, the joint police and military team also found 27 arrows, a bow and two homemade rifles. All of these had been hidden by unknown parties under a bridge, and other items were buried in a cacao plantation belonging to local residents.

They were found in separate places in six subdistricts in Poso Pesisir district, namely Masamba, Tokorondo, Ratulene, Kasiguncu, Tiwaa and Masani.

Sr. Comr. M. Rum, the head of Sintuwu Maroso Operation Task Force, said that security personnel would continue searching for bombs and weapons until the situation returned to normal in the troubled regency of Poso. The Sintuwu Maroso operation has been run by security personnel since last year, in order to prevent the return of bloody sectarian clashes to the regency.

The clashes erupted in the regency in 2000, killing some 2,000 Muslims and Christians. The situation returned largely to normal after a government-brokered peace pact in 2002, but sporadic attacks still occurred until recently in the regency. -- JP