Police arrest alleged terrorist bomber<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
JAKARTA: An alleged member of regional terrorist group Jamaah
\nIslamiyah (JI) had been arrested for his alleged role in a church
\nbombing in December 2000 and for hiding a Bali bomb suspect,
\nNational Police said Thursday.<\/p>\n
The suspect, identified as 52-year-old Zoefri Yoes, alias
\nDatuak, was arrested in Kalimalang, East Jakarta, on May 9 and
\nhas been transferred to Pekanbaru Police Headquarters for
\nquestioning.<\/p>\n
Sr. Comr. Zainuri Lubis, from National Police Headquarters,
\nsaid Zoefrie was suspected of involvement in a church bombing in
\nthe Riau capital of Pekanbaru on Christmas Eve, 2000.<\/p>\n
"He knew about the plan and helped store explosives (at the
\nchurch)," Zainuri told reporters.<\/p>\n
No one was hurt in the blast, one of a series directed against
\nchurches across the country that night that claimed 19 lives.<\/p>\n
Zainuri said the suspect became involved in the bombing to
\nrevenge the deaths of Muslims in protracted religious fighting
\nwith Christians in the Maluku islands.<\/p>\n
Zoefri would also be charged with hiding Bali bombing suspect
\nIdris alias Joni Hendrawan, who is still at large, he said.<\/p>\n
"Zoefrie knew the whereabouts of Idris but did not report them
\nto police."<\/p>\n
Idris, a son in law of Zoefrie, allegedly stayed in Zoefri's
\nhouse in Jakarta when he was on the run.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Bali bombing suspect Ahmad Roichan has told police
\nthat a unit of JI terror group carried out the blasts but not on
\norders from the top leadership.<\/p>\n
Koran Tempo newspaper said Ahmad Roichan, alias Sa'ad, had
\ntold police the bombing was conducted by a JI unit but that the
\nattack "did not go through the decision-making mechanism of the
\nJamaah Islamiyah council."<\/p>\n
Police have said the initial decision to pick a "soft target"
\non Bali was made at a meeting of top JI leaders at a Bangkok
\nmeeting in February 2002.<\/p>\n
"The Bali bomb explosions were done by a unit led by Ali
\nGhufron alias Mukhlas," the newspaper quoted him as saying,
\nciting a police report on his questioning.<\/p>\n
The Bali police chief and his spokesman could not immediately
\nbe reached for confirmation.<\/p>\n
Police have already said JI was behind the bombs that ripped
\nthrough two packed nightspots in Bali on October 12, killing 202
\npeople.<\/p>\n
Sa'ad, who reportedly admits being a JI member, said Mukhlas
\nand another suspect, Hernianto, had visited him in the city of
\nSolo in Central Java after the blast and told him the explosions
\nwere their work.<\/p>\n
Sa'ad, confirming past reports, said Mukhlas heads one of the
\nfour JI regional commands.<\/p>\n
Sa'ad was one of 18 alleged JI members, including three Bali
\nsuspects, arrested last month. Four were later released.<\/p>\n
So far, police have rounded up more than 30 people for the
\nBali blasts that killed more than 200 people and injured over 350
\nothers, mostly foreigners.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-arrest-alleged-terrorist-bomber-1447893297",
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