Jakarta – For the first time since violent clashes broke out between Muslims and Christians on Indonesia's Ambon island in 1999, members of both communities are jointly cleaning mosques and churches.

About 400 Muslims and Christians from Ambon's Sirimau sub-district joined soldiers and officials to clean churches and mosques, the state Antara news agency reported.

Ignoring heavy rain, Christians cleaned the damaged Al Huda mosque, while Muslims worked on the damaged Yakobus and Petra churches.

The local military commander, Colonel Haris Sarjana, said he had coordinated with representatives of both camps to speed up the renovation and repair of damaged houses and buildings.

Ambon island, in the Malukus, has been the scene of heavy sectarian clashes since January 1999 which have left more than 5,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands as refugees.

In February last year, the government brokered a peace deal between the two sides, but sporadic violence has continued.

More than 80 per cent of Indonesia's 212 million people are Muslim, but in some eastern regions, including the Malukus, Christians make up about half the population.