Indonesian police have arrested scores of trouble-makers who brutalized non-Muslims on a public road in Makasar, capital of South Sulawesi province, according to the Antara News Agency Wednesday.

The youths, who claimed to be students at Hasannudin University, stopped motorists at a point on Perintis Kemerdekaan Street, demanded to see their identity cards and detained non-Muslims whom they later manhandled.

The violence occurred From Tuesday afternoon until the arrival of the police at dusk, Antara said, adding that more than 10 wounded people were taken to a police hospital.

At dusk, 14 of the trouble-makers were taken to the city police headquarters and 31 others were arrested on Tuesday night.

Makasar police chief Col. Aryanto Budihardjo said the incident could have triggered widespread unrest in Makasar.

It was reported that a wave of protests by a group of Muslim students started on Monday. They tortured a non-Muslim and claimed their action as retaliation for what had happened to their brothers in Maluku.

The demonstration continued and grew wilder on Tuesday when military troops fired warning shots to disperse about 1,000 demonstrators.

Maluku have witnessed a year-long communal clashes involving Muslims and Christians, leaving more than 1,000 people dead while thousands of buildings were destroyed. (Xinhua)