Three more people killed in Ambon gunfire
Three more people killed in Ambon gunfire
The Jakarta Post, Ambon
Following a strong bomb explosion that claimed two lives in Ambon
on Monday, three more people were shot dead by unidentified
gunmen and five others were seriously injured by gunfire in Ambon
early on Tuesday.
The shootings, which were carried out using automatic rifles,
occurred when a speedboat carrying ten passengers entered the
Ambon Baguala bay near the city at 6:30 a.m. local time.
"Two of the victims, who were shot in the head, chest and
back, were brought directly to the hospital's morgue," Antara
news agency quoted Johanis D. Mayaut, the on-duty physician at
the Dr. Haulusi General Hospital in the city, as saying here on
Tuesday.
The two were identified as Johanis Latupapua and E. Pelmelay.
The third person killed, a female, was not taken to the hospital.
Two of the five injured were identified as Mrs. Agustina
Lawalata, 42, and her daughter Natalia Lawalata, 20. Both
suffered serious injuries to the head and back, and were still
undergoing intensive medical treatment in hospital.
Palopo and M. Latumen, two witnesses who escaped the shooting,
said the incident occurred as they were making their way from the
Galala seaport to Banteng Gudang Arang seaport.
"Just off the Poka/Rumah Tiga coast another speedboat
approached our boat and a gunman then shot at us a number of
times with an automatic gun," said Palopo.
He said their speedboat's driver and conductor were killed
instantly.
The two said that a number of speedboats arrived around half
an hour later to remove the dead and injured.
On Monday, Mrs. Linggawati, owner of an electronic goods store
in the city, and her son, Roberth, were killed when a handmade
bomb exploded in their store. Another bomb also exploded after
being thrown at a truck belonging to the city administration. A
total of 14 people were injured in the two explosions.
Thousands of people have been killed in the prolonged
sectarian conflict that has ravaged the province and North Maluku
since Jan. 1999.
The government has imposed martial law in the two provinces to
restore security and order but so far no permanent solution to
the prolonged conflict has been found.