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Four Killed in Fresh Riots in Ambon, Indonesia
Four people were killed and 11 others injured in fresh riots hitting several parts of Ambon, capital of Maluku province, Indonesia, from Friday night to Saturday afternoon, a report reaching Jakarta Sunday said.
By late Saturday, two bodies of the four dead victims were still missing, Antara news agency quoted executive secretary of the Indonesian Ulemas Council's command post, Malik Selang, as saying.
All the 11 injured are receiving intensive medical treatment at Al Fatah hospital and GPM hospital, he said.
But the report did not say the reason for the fresh riots in Ambon.
Reports said Ambon was paralyzed on Friday in the wake of the commemoration of start of the bloody conflicts that have gripped the Malukus for the last two years.
An explosion rocked the area of Pohon Pule and Jalan Baru, close to Silo Church in downtown Ambon, at about noon local time on Friday, Antara said.
No fatalities were reported in the incident, but terrified residents opted to stay home and roads were deserted as rumors of renewed rioting circulated across Ambon the past few days.
Maluku and North Maluku provinces have been hit by conflicts between Muslims and Christians in the past two years, killing and wounding thousands of people from two sides. The situation has been better since the government imposed a civilian emergency in the areas in June last year. And now the government is preparing to withdraw troops from Ambon and other areas in the two provinces.
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