Soccer hooligans fight residents

CIREBON, West Java: Hundreds of soccer hooligans returning home from Jakarta and local residents living near the railway station here threw stones at each other on Sunday, causing damage to hundreds of houses and a number of trains, Antara reported.

Houses on Jl. K.S. Tubun were the worst hit, with damaged roofs and broken windows from stones fired by the hooligans. Dozens of other houses in the villages of Suci and Mundu also were attacked.

Motorists and pedestrians also fell victim to the violent soccer fans.

In retaliation for the attacks, thousands of Jl. K.S. Tubun residents came out of their houses and started to throw stones at any passing train they suspected of carrying soccer hooligans.

The stone war lasted until 10 p.m., when police and employees of state-run railway company Perumka were deployed to appeal to angry residents to show restraint.