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long history of violence between students at two privately run vocational high schools, SMK Sasmita 1 Pamulang and SMK Bhipuri Serpong, in South Tangerang has prompted Banten Governor Wahidin Halim to call for an end to the conflict.

On Thursday, two days after the latest brawl erupted in Setu, which took place just a few hundreds meters from a Cisauk Police post, Wahidin convened a meeting at the city’s education agency office with principals from both schools and related parties to seek a solution to the matter.

“The [perpetrators] claimed that it was to uphold their honor, and was fueled by incitement by their seniors. Personal grudges also played a part in the incident,” the governor said after the meeting. He said the incident was triggered by an exchange of insults on social media, including one comment that described SMK Bhipuri, the older school, established in 1989, as a goat pen.

An 18-year-old student from SMK Sasmita 1 identified as Ahmad Fauzan sustained a severe injury to his face as he was stabbed with a sword during the brawl on Tuesday afternoon, shortly after the schools let out for the day.

He was taken to Hermina Hospital in Serpong immediately after the brawl for treatment, but because of a lack of facilities he was transferred to Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) in Jakarta.

Footage of the brawl on Jl. Raya Serpong in Kademangan was spread on social media and in chat groups and showed the victim with a stab wound to his cheek still standing and brandishing a small sickle.

The brawling students, mostly wearing their school uniforms, dispersed after the brawl.

The wound to Fauzan’s cheek has been treated and he is doing well, SMK Sasmita 1 principal Aser Simamora said.

“We deeply regret such violent acts and we may have to expel students involved because our rule stipulates that those involved in brawls will not be tolerated,” he said.

The brawl is the latest in a series of similar incidents between the schools. In 2012 video footage showed a mob of students from both schools engaged in a street fight.

Aser said that the students from both schools had been involved in mediation in 2015 and had never been involved in any violence since then, but provocations on social media might have reignited the long-buried tensions.

Sarif Hidayat of SMK Bhipuri said the seniors had played a major role in setting up the fight, including in determining the location and arranging the time.

“They were the ones who arranged everything. They wound up their juniors to engage in the fight,” he said.

The recent brawl in South Tangerang delivered a blow to the city, which is aiming to establish itself as a child-friendly city and a leading residential area in Greater Jakarta.

Wahidin said he had instructed his subordinates to set up a forum among schools and teachers to monitor students’ activities after school hours.

“When students are about to engage in a brawl, it’s usually detectable. They may be active on social media planning and calling on their peers as they gather before heading to the fight location. This is where the teachers and security officials can take part in preventing them from happening,” the former Tangerang mayor said.