Seven hurt as gunmen attack Poso church

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu, Central Sulawesi

Two unidentified gunmen stormed into a church in the troubled region of Poso on Saturday night, firing a hail of bullets at a congregation attending an Easter sermon and injuring seven, including a four-year-old girl.

The attack happened just two weeks after two fatal shootings in the regency, one which killed a clergyman.

Chief of the National Unity and People's Protection Body, Amirullah Sia, said on Saturday night the latest shooting happened at 7:15 p.m local time at the Tabernacle Church in Kilo, Poso Pesisir, about 12 kilometers west of downtown Poso. The seven injured in the attack were taken to Poso Hospital.

Contacted by The Jakarta Post Poso Regency Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Abdi Dharma Sitepu confirmed the incident. He said one of the seven injured was Sela Matoneng, 4, who was hit by a bullet in her right leg.

Other victims were Hendrik Pau, 49; Dorkas Tulung, 45; Rizal Matoneng, 24; the reverend who led the sermon, Dibet Matoneng, 47; Devi Gorigi, 29; and Sunce Engkolawa.

"After they heard the first gunshot they immediately fell to the ground and lay face down (covered by the pews), which is why there were no fatalities," Abdi said.

Abdi said the incident began when three people on a motorcycle rode up to the church from the Poso direction. The three wore Ninja-like costumes, he said.

Two of them got off the motorcycle, ran into the church and started shooting, making their escape shortly afterwards into a nearby forest area in Kilo.

About 200 Mobile Brigade police had been deployed in Kilo in the search for the three, Abdi said.

He said police were still looking into the case and could not confirm whether the incident was related to the two earlier shootings two weeks ago.

Earlier, the police said they were holding five suspects, including a man of Arab appearance, after the shootings two weeks ago. There have been no further statements about the outcome of that investigation.

Poso, a religiously divided town, was rocked by bloody sectarian conflicts in 2000, where about 2,000 Muslims and Christians were killed and thousands of others fled the area as refugees. Fighting died down in 2002, following a government- sponsored peace pact, but sporadic violence continues.