Village chief, citizen fight

BANGKALAN, East Java: A village chief and a citizen slashed each other with sickles over a dispute about traffic signs Tuesday, a press report said yesterday.

Pangalongan village Chief Suli, 50, and Arbai, 50, were both critically injured, Antara reported.

Both were engaged in a duel following a bitter argument after the village chief caught Arbai removing a traffic sign barring trucks from passing the road.

The crowd did not dare intervene because they were threatened.

The duel stopped after police arrived on the scene and fired a warning shot, said eyewitnesses. (pan)