This photo taken in East Java on August 26, 2012 shows a burning house in Sampang region.
Mon Aug 27, 2012 2:50PM GMT
LAST UPDATE
At least two people have been killed and dozens of homes torched in a mob attack on Shia Muslims in Indonesia, police say.
"The men died from being attacked with sickles. One died on the spot yesterday and another this morning," East Java provincial police spokesman Hilman Thayib said on Monday.
Six people were also injured, while 39 homes were set alight during the clash.
Around 500 villagers many armed with machetes attacked a group of Shia students in the town of Sampang in East Java Province on Sunday.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has condemned the attack and called for firm action against the assailants to prevent further violence.
The attack was not the first incident of violence against Shia Muslims in the region.
In late December, 500 Shias were forced to flee their village after a mob attack in Nangkernang, according to human rights watchdog.
Rights groups say Indonesia has become less tolerant in freedom of religion over the past decade and the government is turning a blind eye to the problem.
PG/JR/SS/AZ
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