Poso, Central Sulawesi – A band of armed men wearing ninja outfits wounded two villagers during their assault on a minivan in the village of Pinedapa as tension continued to escalate here on Wednesday. A retaliatory strike followed later in the afternoon, seriously wounding two locals. No deaths were reported in the latest outbreak of violence to hit the Central Sulawesi coastal regency.

In the morning ambush, the attackers, wielding knives and guns, attacked and shot at two residents of Tokorondo identified as Anto, 39, and Sudirman, 35, who were on their way to Poso. Sudirman sustained minor wounds, while Anto was severely injured and immediately rushed to the Poso hospital for emergency treatment.

Security forces responded promptly to control the violent clashes and disperse crowds to prevent the violence from spreading. The provincial police claimed to have arrested two men in Pinedapa and seized three firearms.