Under Attack

Ambon Village Under Attack

Jakarta (Fides)

Catholic and Protestant residents of the predominantly Christian Rutong village in the Ambon mayoralty (Moluccas) had to cancel their worship services last Sunday, Jan. 13. Children and old people had to be quickly evacuated to neighboring safer villages as their houses suddenly came under attack by an unidentified group of gunmen shooting and throwing bomb. The attack forced Rutong residents to defend themselves with the help of security personnel from a Police Mobile Brigade regiment stationed in the nearby villages of Hutumury and Leahari.

One attacker was shot dead and four others were seriously injured, as police exchanged fire with the attackers, who were equipped with Russian Kalasnikhov AK-47 assault-rifles, Indonesian SS-1 rifles , and handmade bombs. Two Rutong residents identified as Mrs. Len Maitimu and Ferdinand Maspaitelo were also seriously injured and are still in intensive care at the Dr Houlussy General Hospital in Ambon, the Capital of Moluccas Province.

According to the national news agency Antara the violent incident occurred when a group of an unidentified gunmen threw a bomb at a house belonging to Ois de Fretes which then exploded in the yard. On Wednesday (Jan. 16) a local source told Fides that similar incidents have occurred several times in this predominantly Christian village, since sectarian violence in Maluku broke out in Ambon on Jan 19, 1999 , spreading throughout the Moluccas Archipelago.

A Police officer said the incident seemed to be a part of a series of attacks launched by various militant groups in their bid to disrupt the gradual return of stability in the city. The groups are believed to have connections with Muslim militant Laskar Jihad organization. Despite the state of emergency imposed by local authorities since July 20, 2000, a series of violent incidents have occurred, claiming hundreds of lives. (Fides 16/1/2002)