Indonesia arrests more suspects for plotting bombings - explosives more powerful than those used in the 2002 Bali bombings -- which killed 202 people

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.

Anadolu Agency