JAKARTA. Apr 3: Christian mobs attacked Muslims in a mosque in an escalation of religious fighting in eastern Indonesia, local media reported Saturday. Three people were killed, report agencies.

At least 20 people have died this week in and near TimI. a city in the troubled province ol Maluku, which has been Ini by chronic rioting since January. Until now, the centre of the violence has been in the provincial capital of Ambon, where at least 200 people have died.

The attack during Jumma prayers at noon Friday at a ■ mosque in the district of Kei Besar, which neighbours Tual. forced hundreds of Muslims to seek refuge in the forest, Republika newspaper reported.

The military, which has struggled to contain frequent ou tbursts of unrest in Indonesia over the past year, set hundreds of troops to the district in an attempt to restore order.

There were no reports of clashes on Saturday as community leaders tried to persuade residents to lay down their

weapons. But tension remained high in Tual. where groups of men armed with swords and spears roamed the streets.

The official Antara news agency said three people died, dozens of people were Injured and at least 60 houses were ransacked in Kei Besar.

One man was also killed Friday in Larat district and clashes were reported in the small towns of Dobo. Kebeser and Somlaki.

Witnesses in the Kai Islands said at least 20 people had died since Christian-Muslim fighting broke out on Wednesday. That toll did not include any possible casualties from Friday's violence.

About 13.000 fearful people who fled their homes were sheltering in government and military installations in Tual. 2.800 km east of Jakarta, the Indonesian capital.

Most of Indonesia's 210 million people are Muslims, but Maluku province has a large Christian population.