Tension rises after village clash

AMBON, Maluku: Tension prevailed on Friday in Haruku island, Maluku, following a clash a day earlier between Kabauw and Rohomoni subdistrict residents.

The sound of homemade bombs and gunfire was heard on Thursday night and Friday morning in both neighboring subdistricts, but there have been no reports of fatalities.

The incident began on Thursday afternoon after a Kabauw resident was assaulted by a Rohomoni resident while both were attending a religious gathering celebrating the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad in Rohomoni subdistrict.

The Kabauw residents became angry and fought back, said chief of Ambon and Lease Island Police Adj. Sr. Comr. Leonidas Braksan on Friday. Leonidas said that police tightened security in the area to prevent violence from recurring. -- JP