Sinjai, South Sulawesi. Police said Monday they have arrested six suspects accused of inciting a violent mob that stormed into the local General Election Commission (KPU) office in an attempt to stop the ongoing vote counting in Sinjai Regency, South Sulawesi.

The suspects, including five men and a woman, are identified by their initials, aged between 22 and 43 years old.

Police also seized dozens of machetes and other sharp weapons, three Molotov cocktails, nine cellular phones, and two cars used to mobilize rioters during Saturday’s incident.

"We have arrested suspects for inciting the incident, illegally carrying weapons, and attacking police members during the demonstration,” Sinjai District Police Chief Fery Nur Abdullah told reporters.

A seventh suspect identified as FR, the alleged brain behind the riot, remains at large, he added.

The male suspects are charged with unlawful possession of weapons which carries a prison sentence of 12 years while the female suspect is charged with inciting hatred punishable by four years in prison.

The rioters are allegedly the supporters of a local legislative council candidate whose identity wasn’t disclosed. They tried to force their way to the KPU office in Sinjai and attacked on-duty officers in the process.

Police found Molotov cocktails and machetes inside the cars that transported the rioters to the scene, indicating that the actions were pre-planned, Fery said.

The incident followed a redo election in nine polling stations due to alleged fraud during the initial vote counting on February 14.

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