Indonesian troops must surrender arms

The army's attack left at least four policemen dead

Indonesian troops who attacked a police station and left at least four policemen dead have been ordered to hand over their weapons.

The official Antara news agency quoted the Indonesian army chief as ordering the surrender, as an investigation began into one of the worst recent incidents of violence between the sometimes rival agencies.

More than 100 soldiers from an airborne battalion attacked the police post on Sunday night with rifles, grenades and mortars.

Four Indonesian policemen were reported to have been shot dead in a fierce battle which lasted several hours.

Local newspaper reports said the death toll could be higher, and at least 24 people were injured in the fighting.

A police spokesman said the soldiers attacked after a police officer arrested a soldier accused of selling drugs.

Police spokesman Amrin Karim said 61 people who had been under detention in the police station escaped during the fight, which took place near the city of Medan, 1,350 kilometres (840 miles) north-west of the capital Jakarta.

"This is not the first time that soldiers have attacked the police. Last time it was over a soldier's arrest for gambling," he said.

Lack of discipline

He told Reuters news agency that most of the dead had been shot in the chest.

The Indonesian army, the country's most powerful institution, has been regularly accused of human rights abuses and indiscipline.

It has also been accused of using its muscle to protect business interests it has developed to make up for shortfalls in the government's military budget.

Relations with the police have been particularly tense in some parts of Indonesia since the police, who used to come under the military's command, were given new powers.

The latest violence will be used by critics of the military as further proof it is being too slow to reform.

The military was widely blamed for being behind violence in the former Indonesian province of East Timor in 1999.

At least 1,000 civilians were killed in the lead up to and aftermath of East Timor's vote to become independent.

The violence led to a US ban on weapons sales and direct military assistance to Indonesia.