Jakarta (AsiaNews) Fundamentalist leaders in the capital have promised to send 7000 armed men to help their Muslim brothers, who they claim are "threatened by Christians" in the Moluccas Islands.
IMI (Ikhwanul Muslimin Indonesia) president, Habib Husein Al Habsyi, told AsiaNews: "We will send 7000 Mujaheddin men to Ambon to protect our innocent Muslim brothers, seeing as security forces aren't doing anything to prevent acts of violence."
Meanwhile the death toll is on the rise. Rivai Ambon, director of Al Fattah Hospital, said that since Sunday, 15 dead bodies have been brought to his hospital alone; 6 others died today and 60 more are being treated for clash-related wounds.
For now the Christian-Muslim clashes (which broke out yesterday morning in Ambon) have officially caused 22 deaths and have led to hundreds of other citizens to suffer serious injury.
Christians living in Ambon have said that there was sporadic fighting all day today, including incidences of violent explosions and fires. Fr. Kees Böhm, of the Ambon Crisis Center, said: "Security personnel seem incapable of keeping the situation under control, and Christians have no arms to defend themselves."
A 6.00 p.m. curfew has been established across the island.
Last night a string of mysterious attacks struck Christian neighborhoods in Batugantung, near the center of Ambon. All Christians have left Batugantung and Mangga Dua in flight of arson attacks on their homes and properties. (MH)
