Reuters AlertNet Lite - Australia warns of attack in Indonesia's Sulawesi

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Australia warns of attack in Indonesia's Sulawesi

16 Feb 2007 00:45:43 GMT
Source: Reuters

CANBERRA, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Australia warned on Friday of a militant attack in the restive Indonesian province of Sulawesi, long the site of deadly Christian-Muslim rivalry.

"Recent credible reports indicate that terrorists may be in the advance stages of planning attacks in Sulawesi," Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said in a travel security warning to citizens.

"You should avoid all government buildings and infrastructure."

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, has in recent years been hit by a series of bomb blasts blamed on Islamic militants.

Police earlier this month arrested two members of a local Islamic militant group blamed for terrorising Central Sulawesi province, where bloodshed between Muslims and Christians left more than 2,000 dead before a 2001 peace accord.

The provincial city of Poso has been tense since the execution of three Christian militants in September over their role in the massacres of Muslims at a boarding school in 2000.

Australia said a warning against all travel to Indonesia, including the resort of Bali, remained in place, citing "the unstable security situation and risk of terrorist attack".

Most attacks against Western targets have taken place in the capital, Jakarta, and on Bali, where 92 Australians died in two separate bombings in 2002 and 2005.

Around 85 percent of Indonesia's 220 million people are Muslim. The vast majority are moderates but there is an active militant minority.

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Last updated:Fri Feb 16 00:45:48 2007