Indonesian government Wednesday asked foreign relief workers not to go out of the three cities worst hit by tsunami in Aceh, because some "irresponsible groups" might attack foreigners.

"The government will be in a very difficult situation if irresponsible groups do harm to foreigners doing relief mission inAceh," said head of the national relief team Aceh, Budi Atmadi Adiputro.

The restriction is aimed at protecting foreigners and achievingsmooth coordination among various relief teams from Indonesia and other countries, said Budi.

Foreigners will from now be allowed only to work in Banda Aceh,Aceh Besar and Meulaboh, the three cities suffering the most of some 105,523 dead in the tsunami disaster which devastated the coastal area of Aceh province on Dec. 26, 2004.

Aceh was the scene of war between government troops and rebels of the separatist Free Aceh Movement which has been fighting for an independent Aceh state since 1976.

The Aceh province also has a dominant Muslim population which is skeptical about the presence of foreign troops from such countries as the United States and Australia.

The Indonesian government Wednesday also asked foreign troops to finish their relief work within three months and let civilian medical and engineering aid workers to replace them.

Indonesian Vice President Yusuf Kalla said that three months are enough for foreign troops to finish their relief works and Aceh now desperately needs medical and engineering aid personnel to build hospitals and infrastructures.