By Telly Nathalia JAKARTA, May 31 (Reuters) - The Indonesian military said on Thursday it has launched an investigation after marines shot dead four villagers, including a pregnant woman, during a protest over land rights on Java island. Armed forces chief Air Marshal Djoko Suyanto said the commander of the unit whose members were involved in Wednesday's shooting in Pasuruan district had been replaced. "The TNI (military) regrets and is very saddened by the incident that claimed several lives," Suyanto told reporters. "Forensic police are looking into it. Military police are also looking into the case," he said. The shootings occurred during a protest by villagers over attempts by the military to turn a navy-owned 3,600 ha (8,900-acre) plot of land into a training ground. Residents say they are entitled to the land because they have cultivated it for many years. One of those killed was a woman who was four-months' pregnant. Seven people were wounded in the shooting, including a boy who is in critical condition. More than 1,000 people attended the funeral of the victims on on Thursday, many crying and reciting Islamic prayers. A navy spokesman said on Wednesday the marines opened fire after villagers armed with machetes and rocks attacked them. Suyanto said he did not want to argue over the circumstances of the incident. "But as rational people, it is very unlikely that soldiers opened fire willy nilly. There must be something that made it turn out like that," he said. A local legal aid activist said the land dispute dates back to the 1960s. (Additional reporting by Sigit Pamungkas in Pasuruan)
