Two shot dead after attempted burglary

JAKARTA (JP): Two burglars were shot dead by police yesterday after attempting, with four others, to rob a house on Jl. Hang Tuah I/9 in South Jakarta.

One of the burglars escaped initially, but was later arrested.

Chief of the South Jakarta police, Lt. Col. S.Y. Wenas, and his deputy, Maj. Muhail, said that the two men, Panil Sibarani and Ridwan Manurung, were shot dead at the crime scene.

Three of the others, Saragih, Erik and Harisman, were taken to the Kramat Jati Police Hospital with gunshot wounds.

Binsar Tampubolon, who escaped during the police's dawn operation, was arrested at 11:45 a.m. after police found him hiding in a house near the scene of the shootings.

A group of policemen, led by Second Lt. Hanafi, was patrolling the neighborhood when their attention was attracted by the suspicious movements of several people at a house and the barking of dogs at 3:30 a.m.

Investigating, police found a gray Toyota Kijang. They noticed that the vehicle's hood was still hot. They entered the house and found six men inside.

"Knowing that the police had encircled the house, they (the burglars) tried to get away through the roof," Muhail said.

"We had to shoot them because they kept running even though the police had fired warning shots," Wenas said.

The burglars were carrying two toy guns, two samurai swords, three sickles, two bolos, two crowbars and a golf bag holding their equipment.

According to the police, the burglars had taken Rp 7 million (US$3,111) in cash, 200 grams of gold, three watches, a pearl, five jade stones and a telephone by the time police moved in. (05)