The Jakarta Post, November 14, 2001
Three more people killed in Ambon gunfire
The Jakarta Post, Ambon
Following a strong bomb explosion that claimed two lives in Ambon on Monday, three
more people were shot dead by unidentified gunmen and five others were seriously
injured by gunfire in Ambon early on Tuesday.
The shootings, which were carried out using automatic rifles, occurred when a
speedboat carrying ten passengers entered the Ambon Baguala bay near the city at
6:30 a.m. local time.
"Two of the victims, who were shot in the head, chest and back, were brought directly
to the hospital's morgue," Antara news agency quoted Johanis D. Mayaut, the
on-duty physician at the Dr. Haulusi General Hospital in the city, as saying here on
Tuesday.
The two were identified as Johanis Latupapua and E. Pelmelay. The third person
killed, a female, was not taken to the hospital.
Two of the five injured were identified as Mrs. Agustina Lawalata, 42, and her daughter
Natalia Lawalata, 20. Both suffered serious injuries to the head and back, and were
still undergoing intensive medical treatment in hospital.
Palopo and M. Latumen, two witnesses who escaped the shooting, said the incident
occurred as they were making their way from the Galala seaport to Banteng Gudang
Arang seaport.
"Just off the Poka/Rumah Tiga coast another speedboat approached our boat and a
gunman then shot at us a number of times with an automatic gun," said Palopo.
He said their speedboat's driver and conductor were killed instantly.
The two said that a number of speedboats arrived around half an hour later to remove
the dead and injured.
On Monday, Mrs. Linggawati, owner of an electronic goods store in the city, and her
son, Roberth, were killed when a handmade bomb exploded in their store. Another
bomb also exploded after being thrown at a truck belonging to the city administration.
A total of 14 people were injured in the two explosions.
Thousands of people have been killed in the prolonged sectarian conflict that has
ravaged the province and North Maluku since Jan. 1999.
The government has imposed martial law in the two provinces to restore security and
order but so far no permanent solution to the prolonged conflict has been found.
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