Armed civilians flee Poso to forest, following gunbattle
Jkt Post, January 30, 2007

JAKARTA (Antara): A legislator says there are armed civilians fled Central Sulawesi's town of Poso to mountainous areas, following gunbattles between police and a civilians group.
"Parts of them flee (from Poso) to mountains. It is time to end (the conflict," said, Mulfahri Harahap, a member of the House of Representatives' Commission III for defense and security affairs Monday.
Mulfahri said the flee of those armed militants would help the police to arrest those people without any fear of possible shooting innocent people.
The legislator, however, did not specify the number of people, who fled the town, which has been hit by religious conflicts since late 1990s.
Following the executions of the three Christian militants, who were sentenced to death for attacking a boarding school in Poso in 2000, the police intensify hunting Islamic militants, who wereaccused of involving in religious conflicts in the city.
Last Friday, at least 14 people, including a police officer, were killed during the gunbattle between police officers and the armed militants.
A number of residents said that some of the casualties were innocent residents, but police denied such statement, saying that all those killed during the gunbattle have become police targets for long time. (**)