Three die in attack on police post near Poso

JAKARTA (JP): Three people died as a group of armed civilians attacked a police post in Sayo village, near the town of Poso in Central Sulawesi, in the early hours of Tuesday.

But the police have yet to identify the attackers and their motives for the predawn assault.

The three fatalities were a police officer, a local woman and one of the attackers.

The Antara news agency identified two of the victims as Second Brig. Muslimin and Rina, who both sustained serious wounds on their bodies. The third fatality remains unidentified.

Two policemen, Second Brig. Adi Iswanto and Second Brig. Ismoyo, were seriously injured. Both were among 10 policemen who guarded the post in the village.

Central Sulawesi Police detective chief Sr. Comr. Andi Ahmad Abdi confirmed the incident, saying that the police were still searching for the armed civilians involved in the attack. They were believed to have fled the scene and were hidden in the hills near the village.

Abdi said that about 50 men armed with various sharp weapons attacked the Sayo village police post, east of Poso at around 5 a.m., when some of the policemen had just finished performing predawn prayers and were completely unprepared for the attack.

"It seems that the armed group had planned the attack," he said.

He quoted witnesses as saying that 20 of the attackers stormed the security post while others waited and stood guard in the vicinity.

A nurse at state-run Poso General Hospital, Nursiah, said officer Muslimin died of severe slash wounds to his back, stomach, and hands. All of his fingers were dismembered.

"From the wounds, it seems that they continued stabbing him with sharp weapons although he was already dead," she said.

Meanwhile, the other fatality, Rina, died of slash wounds to her head and back.

"I have received information that Rina was attacked when she was leaving a nearby mosque (after performing predawn prayers). The attackers proceeded to assault her with sharp weapons," she said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, uneasy calm returned to Poso but new minor clashes broke out in Poso Pesisir district between village residents of Tabaluku and Tangkura. There were limited details on the incident and no immediate reports on fatalities.

Poso has been hit by a series of clashes since December 1999, initially triggered by a minor scuffle between members of Muslim and Christian communities.

After several series of clashes, violence broke out again in May of last year, claiming the lives of more than 250 people and resulting in thousands of buildings being destroyed or torched. (27/emf)