Residents kill soldiers in Aceh
JAKARTA (JP): In what may be a fresh outbreak of conflict in one of Indonesia's troubled provinces, the Armed Forces (ABRI) reported on Tuesday that seven off-duty military personnel were killed in an attack by about 200 residents of Lhok Nibung village in East Aceh.
Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif said in a statement the mob, armed with machetes, attacked soldiers who were on their way to the North Sumatra capital of Medan.
A number of soldiers managed to escape and then reported to a nearby military post that their colleagues had been attacked and killed.
The local military then deployed two platoons to search for the bodies and the attackers. So far, the bodies have not been recovered.
The statement also said the military deployed 100 reinforcement troops from the nearby military post on Tuesday night while 200 more from Medan would be deployed on Wednesday.
The Armed Forces suspected that members of the separatist movement in Indonesia's westernmost province were behind the attack.
Meanwhile, the Central Sulawesi city of Poso continued on Tuesday to be gripped by tension following a recent outbreak of violence caused by a misunderstanding among local youths.
Security officers on Tuesday blocked all entrances into the city which has been hit by the unrest since last Friday, according to Central Sulawesi Police spokeswoman Maj. Ida Kartati.
She was quoted by Antara as saying 200 police from the nearby Donggala police district and 200 troops of the police elite Mobile Brigade were deployed to contain the disturbances. In addition, the local police had requested the reinforcement of 200 troops from 711 Raksatama infantry battalion in the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu.
There was no official explanation as to what exactly had caused the unrest which peaked on Monday when some 8,000 people became involved in clashes.
Poso Regent Arief Patanga and the regency's secretary Yahya Pattiro fled after the rioters pelted their homes with stones.
It was reported that 79 people were wounded, while at least 55 buildings, including houses, shops, discotheques, hotels, a high school and a bus terminal, were badly damaged. In addition, seven motorbikes and four cars were burned by the rioters.
In Lampung, tension was still felt on Tuesday in Sumberjaya subdistrict, Liwa regency, a day after at least 1,500 people attacked and set two police stations and a house on fire following the reported deaths in custody of two detainees.
The two, identified as Sanin and Soleh, were part of a group of five who had allegedly stolen money from coffee businessman Saburi, Antara said.
Nine policemen and at least two villagers were injured in Monday's clash. Officers fired warning shots to disperse stone- throwing rioters.
A preliminary autopsy report indicated that Sanin committed suicide. However, rumors spread that police had killed the villager and residents took to the streets in protest. They were also angry over the detention of another man, Karya, in the same robbery case.
The rioters demanded the police release Karya and another suspect, Armada.
The Liwa Police district freed both men on Monday evening, but tension remained high on Tuesday especially in areas where crowds blocked traffic.
In Medan, officials of the Medan Belawan subdistrict on Monday agreed to close the Sicanang red light district for the duration of the Ramadhan fasting month following a violent clash between local people and preman (hoodlums) last Friday.
This decision, however, was not enough for some Muslim youths who threatened to continue to attack the red-light district until it was closed down permanently.
Some 5,000 people, including local Muslim leaders, youths, women, and teenagers stormed the complex after Friday noontime prayers last week and clashed with hoodlums who guarded it. Several people were wounded and two food stalls were destroyed. (imn/swe/byg)