Laskar Jihad was founded in 2000 by Thalib, an Indonesian who had been trained in Pakistani madrasahs and who had fought together with the mujahadeen in Afghanistan.[4] The primary cause for the creation of Laskar Jihad was the outbreak of sectarian violence in the Indonesian provinces of Maluku and North Maluku where clashes between Muslims and Christians erupted in 1999.[5] Soon after its creation, Laskar Jihad opened recruitment centers in various parts of Indonesia.[6] Muslims joining the militia came from Java, Sumatra, South Sulawesi and Kalimantan.[6] Many of them were unemployed, while some were university students.[6]