Two Muslims killed in Indonesia mob attack

At least two people have been killed and dozens of homes torched in a mob attack on Muslims in Indonesia, police say.

“The men died from being attacked with sickles. One died on the spot yesterday and another this morning,” East Java provincial police spokesman Hilman Thayib said on Monday.

Six people were also injured, while 39 homes were set alight during the clash.

Around 500 villagers many armed with machetes attacked a group of Muslim students in the town of Sampang in East Java Province on Sunday.

The attack was not the first incident of violence against Muslims in the region.

In late December, 500 Shias were forced to flee their village after a mob attack in Nangkernang, according to human rights watchdog.

Rights groups say Indonesia has become less tolerant in freedom of religion over the past decade and the government is turning a blind eye to the problem.