The dead body of First Brigadier I Wayan Putu Ariawa arrived along with First Brig Siwandi, who is suffering from an injury.Palu, C Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The body of one of the three police officers who died during an exchange of gunfire with unidentified people in Poso, Central Sulawesi, arrived at a police hospital here on Thursday evening.
The dead body of First Brigadier I Wayan Putu Ariawa arrived along with First Brig Siwandi, who is suffering from an injury. He is undergoing treatment at Palu Bhayangkara police hospital.
The two victims were taken from Poso to Palu by an ambulance under tight police escort.
Earlier, the National Police Headquarters` General Bureau Chief for Public Relations Division, Sr Comr Agus Rianto, stated in Jakarta that three policemen were shot to death by unidentified gunmen at 10 am local time in Poso.
He said the victims, First Brigadier Wayan Putu Ariawa, First Brigadier Winarto and First Brigadier Ruslan, were members of the police mobile brigade and had been taken to Poso Public Hospital.
Agus pointed out that three other police officers , First Brigadier Ekawijaya Sumarno, First Brigadier Lungguh Unggara and First Brigadier Siswandi Yulianto, were wounded during the gunfire incident.
Siswandi was previously reported to be in critical condition.
Agus said one of the unidentified gunmen had been arrested.
"It is estimated that the armed gang has five members," he stated.
The bodies of Ruslan and Winarto are still at Poso general hospital and will be buried in Poso on Friday.
Lungguh and Ekawaijaya are receiving medical treatment at Poso hospital.
Southeast Sulawesi Police Chief Brig. Gen Dewa Parsana said security officers would hunt down the gang members, who have reportedly escaped to a forest area.
"A number of police brigade members were conducting a routine patrol on Thursday morning when they were suddenly hit with a barrage of bullets from the gang, somewhere between the villages of Kalora and Tambarana in the northern coast of Poso subdistrict," he explained.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
