JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Indonesia's army is being criticized for taking sides in the fighting in the Maluku Islands, where a religious war between Muslims and Christians rages out-of-control. Over the weekend, an Associated Press cameraman witnessed Indonesian troops shooting alongside Muslim fighters. More from CNN Jakarta bureau chief Maria Ressa.</s>MARIA RESSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Muslim soldiers giving cover to Muslim fighters and some carrying military-issued rifles, clear evidence of the breakdown of the chain of command. Fighting here between Muslims and Christians began 18 months ago, allegedly instigated by provocateurs from Jakarta for political reasons. And now, it's raged out of control into a full-fledged religious war. More than 4,000 people have died on both sides, but the military and police seem unable to stop the violence. There are over 8,000 troops in the Maluku Islands. Residents say they're part of the problem: Muslim soldiers fighting on the Muslim side; Christian police fighting on the Christian side. This latest round of violence came after thousand of Muslim extremists, the Laskar Jihad, or the Holy War Army, began attacking Christian communities three months ago. The navy has been unwilling or unable to stop their arrival: on this tape, men speaking in Javanese, a dialect from the Laskar Jihad's base, can be heard as orders are given for the attack. The government declared a state of emergency last month. That seems to have helped in the northern parts of the Malukus, but sniper fire and street battles like this have turned the capital, Ambon, into a no-man's land. Maria Ressa, CNN, Jakarta.
Indonesian Military Aiding Muslim Militants in Malukus