Bali bombings terror leader arrested in Indonesia

AP
Wednesday June 13, 2007

Indonesian police have arrested the alleged leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, the south-east Asian terror group blamed for the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings and a series of other attacks in recent years.

Abu Dujana, Indonesia's most wanted Islamic militant, was detained along with seven other suspected terrorists in raids on the country's main island of Java over the weekend, said police spokesman Sisno Adiwinoto.

The capture of Dujana, an Afghan-trained militant who police say once had links with al Qaida, is a major victory in the fight against terrorism in Indonesia, a secular nation with the world's largest Muslim population.

"With this arrest we have successfully stopped acts of terrorism in the future," said Adiwinoto. "He was a key figure in the terrorist network in Indonesia."

Adiwinoto said Dujana, 37, was being held at undisclosed location.

Police confirmed his identity using dental and DNA samples, he said.

Under the country's anti-terror law, police can hold a suspect for several weeks without charge.

Jemaah Islamiyah members have been blamed for four attacks on Western targets in Indonesia in recent years, including the Bali nightclub attacks that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists and a 2003 suicide blast at the JW Marriott Hotel.

The group, which police say received funds and direction from al Qaida, has also been blamed for attacks in the Philippines, while Malaysia and Singapore have arrested several dozen alleged members in recent years.

Adiwinoto said Dujana played a major role in "almost all" the bombings in Indonesia.

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