Ambon – Maluku's provincial capital of Ambon was tense again on Thursday following a traffic accident and bomb explosions in Pardais Tengah at around 7.51 pm.

Police had to deploy six armored vehicles to prevent people belonging to different community groups from attacking each other. Columns of police took up positions in Jalan AM Sangadji and Jalan Diponegoro to contain people of different communal affiliations in their respective residential areas.

Ambon resort police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Leonidas Braksan led officers in the field in persuading residents to refuse being provoked, stay home and leave the settlement of any breach of the peace to the police.

He said the tensions began following a collision between public transport vehicles in the afternoon. He urged people to refer any security problem to the authorities.