Bandarlampung, Lampung (ANTARA News) - A mob torched at least 60 houses at Sidomulyo village in South Lampung district, Lampung province, on Tuesday following a clash between two groups of people earlier in the day.

The mob also destroyed 23 other houses, sources told ANTARA News.

The incident forced residents of the village to take refuge to safer place to avoid another clash.

Hundreds of police officers with the help of military personnel were deployed to the scene to anticipate undesired thing.

The security personnel were standing by to prevent residents from other areas from entering the village to help their relatives involved in the clash.

Thousands of people armed with various kinds of sharp weapons were seen on the scene of clash.

The incident forced police to reroute traffic on trans Sumatra highway and close the section of the highway from Katibung to Tanjungan villages in South Lampung district.

A number of buses and private cars which happened to pass through the section of the highway were ordered to enter nearby gasoline station compounds for several hours until the security conditions in the area returned to normal.

Police also tightly guarded the road leading to the village and banned other residents from entering the scene.

Chief of the Lampung provincial police Brig. Gen. Jodie Rooseto, commander of the military district Col. Amalsyah Tarmizi, South Lampung district head Rycko Menoza, and chief of the South Lampung police resort Adjunct Chief Commissioner Harry Muharram had visited the scene.

By Tuesday evening the security conditions on the scene had begun to return to normal and security personnel remained on standby to prevent undesired thing.
(Uu.KA.A054/S012/HAJM)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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