Religious killings in Indonesia claim 12

Attackers raided a Christian neighbourhood in Indonesia's ravaged city of Ambon yesterday, killing at least 12 people and raising new doubts about the chances for peace in the troubled Moluccas region.

A local journalist at the scene said: "The attack broke out early on Sunday in Soya village of Ambon city. They attacked the village by using home-made bombs, and set fire to some of the houses".

The reporter cited residents as saying the pre-dawn attackers were Muslims, and there were dozens of them.

Over the past three years, at least 5,000 people have been killed in religious violence in Ambon, 1,400 miles east of Jakarta, and in the Moluccas islands of which it is the hub.

Sunday's incident is the latest in several days of renewed trouble, undermining hopes for a peace deal brokered between Muslims and Christians in February.

The reporter said he counted 11 dead from Sunday's attack, but a second witness said that he saw at least 12 bodies. Indonesia's official news agency Antara gave the same figure and said six people were hurt.

The attack occurred when people were still asleep, at around at 4am. Antara said the casualty figures could grow as residents searched for victims under the debris of destroyed houses.

The second witness said residents reported that some of the attackers were armed with military weapons and wearing camouflage-style uniforms. The military denied any involvement.