Police Clash with Armed Group in Poso

Palu, Central Sulawesi (Antara) - On Thursday, the police officers of Central Sulawesi clashed with an armed group, while on patrol, in the village of Taunca, Poso, which led to the death of a policeman. Central Sulawesi Police Command Chief Brigadier General Ari Dono Sukmanto confirmed that patrolman 2nd grade (Barada) Putu Satria has been killed during the shootout with the armed civilian group. Meanwhile, one member of the armed civilian group had also been killed, Central Sulawesi Police Command spokesman Adjuct Senior Police Commissioner Soemarno told Antara in Jakarta. He notified that the group member killed during the clash was known by the initial F and was believed to be a member of a terror cell under the leadership of Santoso. Soemarno added that another member of the group suffered a gunshot wound in the leg. He claimed that the police are now searching for other members of the group who were involved in the clash. Brigadier General Ari Dono Sukmanto also believes that the armed members were part of a terror cell led by Santoso, who is still on the wanted list of the police. "Among the indications, which point to them being members of the Santoso-led group, is the fact that, so far, there has been no other group operating in that area," he remarked. He explained that the group members are difficult to catch, as they are constantly changing locations. "The members often come and go, some from Bima (West Nusa Tenggara), while others from Java or Kalimantan," he noted. He also suspected that the group had conducted training in Gunung Biru, Poso. He remarked that efforts are now being made to take the body of the group member killed in the clash to Poso, which may take three hours. Head of Public Relations Division of the National Police Headquarters Inspector General Ronny F. Sompie stated that the dead person's information will be matched with the police data in order to confirm whether he was a member of the Santoso group. (*)