Washington : Indian Americans in a Georgian city are getting themselves trained in gun shooting as self-defense measures after the community in recent months experienced a spate of violent home invasions and robberies.

Indian Americans living in Roswell, a suburb of northern Atlanta, are being helped by the local police in receiving this gun training, which they believe would help protect themselves from robberies.

Over the weekend, Indian Americans gathered at a firing range, a local news channel reported, adding that Roswell police has so far charged seven Colombian nationals with home invasion.

"This is my first time," Ashish Dhume was quoted as saying."Some of our friends actually got robbed. We don't want to be victimised when we are at home," he added.

"I feel confident I can use the gun and protect myself," he said after receiving an hour-long training.

"I just wanted to see what it feels like and learn some safety issues, more than anything else, just in case I get into a situation," Nivelle Bilimoria told WSB TV.

The community believes, so does the local police, that Indian Americans are being targeted because they have the tradition of keeping gold in their homes.

In fact, Indian American communities in other parts of the US, like Virginia and New York, too have been target of robberies because of the gold culture, but this is for the first time that they are taking training in shooting as a self-defence measure.

"Indians seem to be adverse, probably culturally, but once you settle down in this country, you've got to adapt to the country," Dijjocam Raina was quoted as saying, adding that he hadn't held a gun in 20 years, but now he plans on buying one and keeping it close for safety.

Local police conceded that Indian American community is being targeted by robbers who held them at gunpoint and snatch away their gold and other valuables.