AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Friday November 30, 2001 1:06 PM
Two killed in new Muslim-Christian clashes in Indonesia's
Sulawesi island
JAKARTA, Nov 30 (AFP) - Two people have been killed and about 300 homes set
ablaze in the latest clashes between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia's Central
Sulawesi province, police said Friday.
The violence broke out Thursday in the mainly Christian village of Tangkura in the
district of Poso, local policeman Agus Saleh told AFP.
Poso has been the scene of almost two years of sectarian fighting which has left
more than 300 people dead.
Earlier this week armed groups attacked Tangkura and two neighboring Christian
villages. Five people were killed including two of the attackers.
On Monday a church was bombed and burnt down in Poso, which aid workers see as
a potential major new flashpoint in fighting between Muslims and Christians.
Michael Elmquist, deputy United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, said Tuesday
that a recent mission to the province had found an "extremely tense" situation, with a
"depth of hatred" between Christians and Muslims.
He said possibly up to 7,000 members of Laskar Jihad -- a Java-based armed Islamic
group which has waged a "jihad" (holy war) against Christians in the Malukus -- had
moved to Poso to continue their battle.
Copyright © 2001 AFP. All rights reserved.
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