Christians Shot by A Gang in Indonesia

A gang shot and injured a policeman and a school teacher seriously in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, AP reported on 12 July. This region is well known for ravagement of bloodshed between Muslims and Christians.

Central Sulawesi Police Chief Brig. Gen. Taufik Ridha said the gang shot the policeman who was driving a female school teacher home on his motorbike on 11 July in the city of Poso.

The victims were all Christians and were taken to hospital immediately.

Ridha said the victims lost a lot of blood which brought them into critical condition. The gang has not been found but Ridha said the case didn't seem to be a regular criminal activity.

Also there was a bomb explosion in Poso before the shooting case occured. Fears has uprisen among the villagers in the result of the continueous religious violences.

However the withdrawal of 3,000 extra police may be delayed six months due to recent events in Poso, police said.

In 2001-2002, Poso was wrapped into religious violence between Muslim and Christian gangs. The violence left up to 1,000 people dead.

Poso is about 1,000 miles northeast of Jakarta. The violence was officially ended in December 2002 after the government sponsered a peace deal between the two sides.