Bali police say militants plan more Indonesia bombs ( 2003-10-11 16:51) (Agencies)
Militants are planning more attacks in Indonesia and have already built two
bombs, a top police officer said on Saturday, the eve of the first anniversary
of last year's Bali nightclub blasts that killed 202 people.
Security is extremely tight on Bali for the anniversary with thousands of
police and security personnel deployed.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who arrives in Bali later on Saturday
for a memorial service, has said the safety of those attending Sunday's services
could not be guaranteed.
Bali police chief I Made Mangku Pastika, who has led the investigation into
the October 12, 2002 bombings, said the devices were similar to those used last
year.
"The two bombs are not in Bali. In Indonesia, but not in Bali," he told
reporters at a news conference.
"The two bombs are smarter bombs to the ones used in Bali. They are still the
same type, but their way of hiding them is smarter. These bombs do not contain
much metal. They contain plastic so our metal detectors are not very useful for
them."
Australia, which lost 88 nationals in the Bali bombings, has said several
times recently that it expects more attacks in Indonesia and Asia by Islamic
radical groups, including the Jemaah Islamiah blamed for the Bali attacks.
Indonesian authorities have been saying for weeks that they believe more
bombings may be being planned by Muslim militants in the country.
General Da'i Bachtiar told reporters after a hearing in parliament last month
that one of the bombs believed to have been made had a possible weight of around
150 kg (300 pounds).
He said the information came from interrogations of suspects in the August 5
bombing of the US-run JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta that killed 12 people and is
blamed on the same Muslim militant group that carried out the Bali attacks.
