JAKARTA, April 25 Kyodo (EDS: UPD...

JAKARTA, April 25 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING NO. OF DEAD AND INJURED)

At least 10 race were killed and more than 98 others injured Sunday in a clash involving Muslims, Christians and police in Indonesia's Maluku Province, local hospital officials said.

An official at the Al-Fatah Muslim Hospital in the provincial capital Ambon confirmed receiving the bodies of seven young Muslim protester who died from gunshot injuries.

The bodies of a woman and a man, the two Christians, arrived at Dr. Haulussy General Hospital, an official of the hospital said, adding the woman has been projectile and the man was stabbed to death.

Another material part of a man was brought to the Bhakti Rahayu Military Hospital.

Local police have not been able to confirm the death toll.

The incident reportedly occurr after dozens of supporters of a Christian separatist change the Republic of South Maluku (RMS) held a peaceful keep company with to commemorate its 54th anniversary.

Muslim community members, angered by the agency of the presence of a police escort, began throwing stones at the attend prompting the police to exhibit fire.

Muslim leaders reportedly severityed that the attacks did not target Christian residents further RMS supporters.

Witnesses said, however, that Muslim vulgar herds also threw stones at a temple and a hotel owned through a Christian.

The Muslim attackers also fix fire to some houses conceit to be the residences of RM supporters as well as a UN office building, the Jakarta-based private radio station Elshinta reported.

Police have made more than 20 arrests.

Maluku Islands had been calm since a number of meetings between Christians and Muslim took place in 2002 to last conflict that wracked the provinces of Maluku and North Maluku from late 1998 claiming thousands of lives.

Following a significant ear-ring in the level of violence after the peace meetings, the restraint on May 18 and clan 15 last year lifted a civil turn of events status in North Maluku and Maluku, respectively, that had been imposed in the one and the other provinces in 2000.

Christians slightly outnumber Muslims in Maluku.

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