Police post attacked

GARUT, West Java: An angry crowd set fire to a police station in Pameungpeuk subdistrict and ransacked a nearby police officer's house Sunday in what appeared to be a senseless outburst of violence.

Local police chief Col. Sukamto was quoted by Antara as saying yesterday an investigation was underway but no arrests had been made.

In Jakarta, Deputy National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Lutfhi Dahlan was quoted by Antara as saying the violence was sparked by rumors a policeman had killed a fellow officer.

Lutfhi said that on Friday, the Pameungpeuk police held routine shooting training during which Chief Corporal Juju accidentally killed himself.

"The public has not been harmed whatsoever by Juju's death. We are saddened by his death, but it was an accident," he said.

The fire was the second case of arson in West Java in the last month. The first was when a mob burned down a police post in Pelabuhan Ratu, Sukabumi, alleging police inefficiency in investigating a local teacher's death.

Sunday's incident was started when a group of people marched 2.5 kilometers from Mancagahar village in Pameungpeuk subdistrict and gathered in front of the police station and hurled molotov cocktails at the building.

This happened shortly after a group of youths ransacked Chief Corporal Bambang's house, about 200 meters from the police post.

There were no casualties in the incident that lasted for an hour before troops came in and contained the violence. (swe)