TNI children involved in brawls

JAKARTA: Two groups of youngsters from the Jakarta Military Command and the Army Strategic Reserves Command housing complexes were involved in a two-round brawl early on Sunday, on Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda, South Jakarta.

No fatalities were reported, while the injured suffered only light wounds.

The brawl started at around 4 a.m. after the sahur (predawn meal) when the youths from both groups, whose complexes were divided only by a road, started street races.

They mocked each other, which led to a brawl and stone- throwing incident.

Dozens of police from Kebayoran Lama police subprecinct were deployed to separate the groups, but the brawl recurred at 7 a.m. after the police had withdrawn.

Both groups used sharp weapons and Molotov cocktails in attacking each other.

Kebayoran Lama chief of detectives First Insp. Bambang Purnomo promised that such brawl would not happen again, claiming that he had approached leading figures from both complexes to stop the violence.

"None of those involved in the brawls have been detained," he said. -- JP