Two suspects arrested for Manado blast<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The police have apparently arrested two suspects in the bombing
\nincident at the Philippines consulate in Manado, North Sulawesi,
\nfollowing a series of questioning, a high-ranking officer said on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
North Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. I. Lebang said the two
\nwere among seven people questioned by the police after Saturday's
\nbombing, which was apparently coordinated to go off around the
\nsame time as the devastating bombs in Bali.<\/p>\n
He however refused to reveal their nationalities, only saying
\nthat they were in their 30s, with the initials IND and JS. They
\nare currently in detention at the Manado police headquarters.<\/p>\n
However, Lebang also refused to provide further details or the
\nplace where the two were arrested by the police.<\/p>\n
\"The two suspects are still undergoing thorough interrogation
\nto find out who the mastermind was behind the bombing incident,\"
\nOfficer Lebang said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
The arrest was welcomed by the Philippines embassy in Jakarta,
\npraising the police for their investigative work.<\/p>\n
The world was shocked on Saturday when at least four bombs
\nwent off almost simultaneously, one in Manado, two in Kuta, Bali
\nand one in Denpasar near an American consular office. Manado and
\nBali have long been perceived as the safest areas of the country
\namid social and religious upheaval in hundreds of other areas.<\/p>\n
No casualties were reported in the Manado attack, which
\nhappened moments before the Bali bombings that claimed at least
\n180 lives and injured more than 300 people.<\/p>\n
However, the people of Manado, mostly Christian, were dismayed
\nby the incident as it was the first time the city was under such
\na threat, even during the volatile last 4 years in the country,
\nin which dozens of bomb attacks have occurred.<\/p>\n
Lebang said that so far the police did not know whether to
\nlink the two suspects with known terror networks or to the
\ncarnage in Bali, as the investigation was still ongoing.<\/p>\n
In a related development, the Indonesian Navy has increased
\nits surveillance in the waters between Indonesia and the
\nPhilippines following the latest bombing attacks.<\/p>\n
Commander of the sixth Navy fleet, based in North Sulawesi,
\nCommodore Kenny Welong said on Tuesday that due to the escalating
\nsituation, the Navy would carefully assess the possible threats
\nin the area.<\/p>\n
He said that the Navy had assigned two warships in the border
\nareas, with the regular duties of preventing illegal fishing and
\nother transnational crimes.<\/p>\n
However, following the bombings the surveillance had to be
\nintensified, the commodore added.<\/p>\n
The waters between North Sulawesi and Southern Philippines are
\none of the most prone for the illegal arms trafficking, from the
\nMuslim separatists in the Philippines to the Indonesian sectarian
\nconflict areas in Maluku and Poso.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/two-suspects-arrested-for-manado-blast-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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