Police find nineteen live bombs in Poso and Tojo

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu, Central Sulawesi

On the last day of their three-day raid on sharp weapons, the military and police force found on Wednesday 19 homemade bombs and five locally assembled rifles at three separate places in Poso and the neighboring regency of Tojo, Central Sulawesi.

They were discovered in farming areas of Kasiguncu and Toini villages, Poso Pesisir and West Tojo subdistricts, said Adj. Sr. Comr. Agil Assegaf, spokesman for the Poso security operation called Sintuwu Maroso III.

He said all of the bombs and the firearms were being held by the Poso police as evidence.

Assegaf said the police and military had been suspicious that certain people had hidden bombs and firearms in a number of areas.

Similar raids would continue until the security authorities found all bombs and firearms in Poso, he said, adding that intelligence officers would collect information from local residents on the whereabouts of hidden sharp weapons.

"We're certain that there are still many bombs and firearms concealed by civilians. That's the reason why the operation must go on," he said.

Earlier last month, police found at least four homemade bombs during raids in the suburban area of Mogenko, Poso.

Some 2,000 people were killed in two years of sectarian fighting between Muslims and Christians before a peace pact was signed by warring groups in 2002.

However, sporadic attacks, in which dozens of local people were killed, have continued in the religiously divided town. The arrests of a number of suspects have failed to halt the attacks, which have been blamed on mysterious gunmen.