Indonesia
arrests more suspects for plotting bombings - explosives
more powerful than those used in the 2002 Bali bombings -- which killed 202
people
Indonesian police have arrested two men suspected
of having links to an alleged bomb-maker accused of planning attacks on
government buildings and an embassy. Authorities believe all three are members
of the Jamaah Anshar Khilafah Daulah Nusantara network led by Bahrun Naim, an
Indonesian fighting with Daesh in Syria who authorities believe masterminded a
fatal attack in Jakarta in January.
National police spokesman Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said Sunday that the men
are suspected of working together on plots to carry out terror attacks at some
government buildings and the Myanmar embassy.
Anti-terror personnel arrested Rio Priatna Wibawa, 23, on Wednesday at
his home in West Java, where they reportedly found a “huge amount” of
explosives.
Saiful Bahri and Bahrain Agam were captured in raids this weekend in the
provinces of Aceh in Sumatra island and Banten in Java.
"The suspected terrorists were involved in planning bombings at the
parliament building, police headquarters, Myanmar embassy and two television
stations, TvOne and Metro TV," Amar was quoted as saying Sunday by
detik.com.
"They [Bahri and Agam] help Rio to make the [bomb-making]
laboratory for ‘amaliyah’ [terror attacks]."
The anti-terror agency believes Wibawa had been making explosives more
powerful than those used in the 2002 Bali bombings -- which killed 202 people
-- in the small lab at his home.
On Saturday, another national police spokesman had said the “terrorist
network” was accused of deliberately seeking to target important landmarks in
Indonesia in order to draw attention from media worldwide and to show their
“anti-democratic” stance.
Police are continuing to question all three suspects.
The alleged plot to also attack the Myanmar embassy comes at a time when
thousands of people have joined demonstrations in front of the foreign mission
to protest violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine
State.
Indonesia has been on alert against extremist activities over the past
year, further heightening security measures after the January attack left eight
people -- including four Daesh-linked suspects -- dead in the capital.
In 2002, Bali witnessed a series of bombings that that killed 202 people
-- mostly Australians -- in an attack blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah, al-Qaeda’s
Southeast Asia affiliate.
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