LAKSAMANA.Net, July 20, 2004 05:03 PM
One Killed in North Sumatra Bomb Blast
Laksamana.Net - One man was killed and at least one other injured when a
home-made bomb exploded early Tuesday (20/7/04) at a fish farm in North Sumatra
province, reports said.
"Information we received said the explosion came from a home-made bomb. One
person was killed and another is now being treated at the Pringadi Hospital in
Medan," North Sumatra Police official Iwan Hari was quoted as saying by detikcom
online news portal.
Details are still sketchy, but the blast reportedly occurred at about 1.30am near
Pragahan village, Sei Bingei subdistrict, Langkat regency, about 60 kilometers east of
the provincial capital Medan.
Detikcom quoted local sources as saying the explosion instantly killed a security
guard, identified as Sofyan (30), while a second guard, identified as Rehulina Ginting
(30), suffered wounds to his right hand and left foot.
But state news agency Antara said the bomb killed local villager Adek Karo-karo and
seriously injured two other villagers, Rehulina Ginting and Samudera.
Police were unable to give detailed information on the explosion or the casualties,
saying forensic officers were still investigating the scene of the blast.
Binjai Police chief Bambang Waskito said it was unclear whether an attacker had
thrown the bomb at the fish farm, or whether the victims had been handling the device
– possibly planning to use it to catch fish – when it exploded prematurely.
It seems unlikely the blast was linked to police warnings that terrorists could be
planning attacks to disrupt the ongoing presidential election process.
Results of the July 5 presidential election are scheduled to be announced on July 27.
A run-off election between the top two vote winners, former security minister Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono and President Megawati Sukarnoputri, will be held on
September 20.
Indonesia has been hit by a series of deadly bombings since 2000. Most have been
blamed on regional terrorism network Jemaah Islamiyah, although smaller explosions
have been linked to turf wars between criminal gangs.
Two bombs exploded almost simultaneously last Wednesday at gambling dens in the
West Java capital of Bandung. Another blast occurred in Poso, Central Sulawesi, on
Saturday.
[more to follow]
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