AFP to help probe airport blast

JAKARTA: National Police Headquarters confirmed on Tuesday the Australian Federal Police (AFP) would assist in the investigation of the bombing at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Zainuri Lubis said two forensic experts from the AFP, who have also been helping investigate Thursday's blast near the United Nations office in Central Jakarta, would assist Indonesian police in the airport bombing investigation.

"Hopefully, the cooperation will speed up the investigation," Zainuri said.

Australian police, who have been involved in the probe into last year's bombings in Bali, also helped investigate two bombings in the North Sumatra capital of Medan about a month ago.

The Bali blasts on Oct. 12, 2002, killed 202 people, 89 of them Australians. Indonesian police have arrested most of the suspects in that case and their trials are expected to start next month. -- JP