T

he police in Lamongan, East Java, arrested 42 Islam Defenders Front (FPI) members and confiscated weapons after they clashed with a group of people in Dengok hamlet, Kandang Semangkon village in Paciran district on Monday.

East Java Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Awi Setiyono said the clash was triggered by an altercation between three FPI members and three locals on Thursday. The police named the three FPI members '€” Zaenuri alias Zen, Viki and Gondok. The three locals were Zaenul Efendi, Agus Langgeng and Sampurno '€”as suspects in the case.

The alleged attack was committed at a PlayStation rental shop in Gow, Blimbing subdistrict, Paciran.

'€œThe three victims suffered stab wounds and bruises,'€ Awi told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Awi said that on Sunday at 11:30 p.m., Slamet Badiono led some 20 Blimbing residents on a revenge mission and assaulted two relatives of an FPI member, Riyan and Sundari. Sundari was stabbed in her left hand and Riyan suffered stab wounds to the head.

'€œThe police arrested Slamet and Said,'€ Awi said.

In response to the revenge, Umar Faruk led tens of FPI members on a search for the people who tortured Riyan and Sundari in Dengok hamlet. '€œThey destroyed windows, television sets and six motorcycles,'€ Awi said.

They later moved to Jl. Daendels, Paciran, and seriously injured Hamzah Soleh. FPI members reportedly set fire to two motorcycles and destroyed six others. Another teenager, Ryan Kurniawan, also sustained injuries. East Java FPI Syuro council chairman Muhammad Mahdi bin Idrus Alhabsyi denied the attack, saying the clash was between martial art clubs and not the FPI.

'€œFPI Lamongan was closed down three years ago due to difference in views with the central FPI,'€ Mahdi said.