Armed training held outside Jakarta

JAKARTA: A group of civilians is reported to have organized military training just outside the capital city.

Security authorities are still investigating the identity of members of the group and their motivation for undergoing military training.

"Although the training took place outside Jakarta, we will check if it affects the city," said Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono after a coordination meeting here on Wednesday.

An increasing number of civilian groups have been arming themselves in recent years.

The latest group is the Laskar Jihad paramilitary group that organized military exercises in a village in Bogor, West Java, before their deployment to riot-torn Ambon.

The government set up armed civilian groups in the last days of the Soeharto regime and in East Timor to counter its campaign for independence. - Antara