Men held over Sulawesi beheadings

Four men have been arrested in connection with the beheadings of three schoolgirls in Indonesia last month.

The Indonesian military said the men, who have not been identified, were being held for questioning.

The teenagers were attacked on their way to their Christian school near the city of Poso, in the eastern province of Sulawesi, on 29 October.

Jakarta said recent attacks on the island were an attempt to foment religious hostility.

'Masked attackers'

A girl who survived the attack reportedly told police there were six machete-wielding attackers, dressed in black and wearing masks.

About 400 police and 600 troops were ordered into the area following the incident amid fears that the killings would reignite religious unrest.

Sulawesi province has a long history of violence between Muslim and Christians.

More than 1,000 people were killed in religious clashes in the province between 2000 and 2001.

In the latest incident, gunmen shot and critically wounded two schoolgirls in Poso, on Tuesday.

"The perpetrators are believed to aim at provoking the religious emotions of the people in Poso so that unrest erupts," said Andi Mallarangeng, a spokesman for Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.