REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SENTANI -- A group of unidentified people torched a police post in Sentani, Jayapura district, on Wednesday, to protest against the death of a local resident.
"At 2.30 p.m. local time, a mob vandalized the Sentani police post. The mob, armed with stones and beams of wood, smashed the glass windows and doors of the police post located at Hawai Street, in front of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Sentani," a local resident said on grounds of anonymity.
The mob also set fire to the police post. However, the personnel of the Jayapura Military District Command and local residents managed to extinguish the blaze.
The incident occurred when some 300 people escorted the ambulance carrying the body of Simon Sokoy for burial at a local cemetery. Simon was the son of Second Sergeant Richardo Sokoy, who works for the Jayapura military district command.
At around 4.10 p.m. local time, the personnel of the 751/1 Battalion arrived at the scene to clear up the shattered glass windows and doors and guard the police post against any anticipated future attack.
No fatalities or injuries were reported in the attack.
Chief of the Jayapura police resort Adj. Snr. Comr Roycke Harry Langie was unavailable for comment on the incident.
Earlier, the local residents clashed with police personnel at the Sentani Sub-District Military Command.