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Virtual New York Monday 21 May 2001 3:25 (ET) Monday, 21 May 2001 3:25 (ET) JAKARTA, Indonesia, May 21 (UPI) --Groups of men armed with knives, bayonets and machetes killed at least six people and wounded 17 others in Christian villages in eastern Indonesia's Moluccas Islands. Officials said Monday dozens of houses were torched in the attack. More than 8,000 people in the region have been killed in clashes between Muslims and Christians since January of 1999. The official Antara news agency reported that a group of people wearing military uniforms late Sunday attacked the predominately Christian neighborhoods of Mardika and Soya Kecil villages in Ambon, the capital of Moluccas province. Antara and local residents said by telephone that security officials did not try to prevent the attackers from storming the residential areas. "Just imagine that the distance between the security post and our villages is only about 25 meters ( 27 yards), but security authorities cannot prevent the attackers from entering the rival residential areas to carry out manslaughter," one resident was quoted as saying. -- Copyright 2001 by United Press International. All rights reserved. --
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