BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities closed 16 websites and detained six people responsible for "fabricating or disseminating online rumors," the State Internet Information Office (SIIO) and Beijing police said Friday.

　　The websites, including meizhou.net, xn528.com and cndy.com.cn, were closed for spreading rumors of "military vehicles entering Beijing and something wrong going on in Beijing," which were fabricated by some lawless people recently, said a spokesman with SIIO.

　　The rumors have caused "a very bad influence on the public" and the websites were closed in accordance with laws for failing to stop the spread of rumors, said the spokesman.

　　Beijing police also detained six people for allegedly fabricating and spreading the above-mentioned rumors, particularly through microblogging posts, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Public Security.

　　An undisclosed number of people who had disseminated similar rumors on the Internet were also "admonished and educated," who have shown intention to repent, the police said.