Two bomb threats in Kawua and Ampana shocked Central Sulawesi residents on Sunday (July 24), a day after the burial of terrorist group leader of East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) Santoso, aka Abu Wardah, Jakarta Post reported.
The first bomb threat occurred in the morning in front of the Advent Church in Jalan Trans Sulawesi, Kawua subdistrict, Poso City, while the second threat took place in the afternoon in front of the Palu Indonesian Christian Church (GKI Palu) in Ampana, Tojo Una-Una regency.
The bomb threat in Poso occurred during a service at the Advent Church. A bomb squad disposal unit dispatched from the Poso Police examined a package put beside a motorcycle parked in front of the church that aroused suspicions. They found out not it wasn’t a bomb.
The owner of the motorcycle got suspicious when she came to her vehicle because a black package with cable coils was attached to the gear switch. She immediately reported her discovery to local security who then called the police.
Currently, the suspicious object has been secured by the bomb disposal unit of Central Sulawesi Police for further investigation.
In addition, the police also questioned a number of witnesses to find the person behind this incident.
In Ampana, local residents were similarly scared by a bomb-like package found in front of the GKI Palu. Local police cordoned off the area while they waited the arrival of the bomb squad disposal unit.
Ampana resident Erwin Husain told the Post that the situation remained calm despite the bomb threat. The terror did not disrupt local people’s activities, he said.
Another Ampana resident Nudin Lasahido said the bomb scare did not cause local residents to panic.
“It remains unknown whether or not it’s a bomb. We are still waiting for the bomb squad from Poso,” said Nudin. It takes approximately four hours to travel from Poso to Ampana.
Central Sulawesi Police spokesperson Adj. Sr. Comr. Hari Suprapto said that the acts of terror was deliberately done by the person who wants to create chaos in Poso. Despite that, he insisted that foreign objects suspected was just a toy bomb fitted with wires and were completely harmless.
However, Suprapto did not want that terror bombing linked to the funeral of Santoso, the killed MIT leader, “The terror had nothing to do with the funeral of the deceased Santoso and so far Poso still in a conducive atmosphere,” he said
