Another Makassar bombing suspect arrested

Another Makassar bombing suspect arrested

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police in South Sulawesi have arrested another suspect in last
December's bombing in the provincial capital of Makassar, which
left three people dead and 11 others injured.

Amran, 34, was arrested in Luwu Utara subdistrict, Malangke
regency, on Saturday and was taken to Makassar on Sunday evening
for questioning, Antara news agency reported on Monday.

"He (Amran) is the 21st suspect to have been arrested," South
Sulawesi Police spokesman Adj. Comr. Aidil was quoted as saying.

He said the arrest followed intensive questioning of several
other detained suspects, including Anton, alias Iyat, who was
arrested in December 2002.

Aidil said the police were still searching for four other
suspects -- Agung Hamid, Hizbullah Rasyid, Mirzal, alias Ghozi,
and Dahlan.

Agung is the alleged mastermind of the bombing of the
McDonald's outlet on Dec. 5. Police say he fled with several
bombs following the attack.

Investigators have described Hizbullah, Mirzal and Dahlan as
field coordinators for the Agung-led group blamed for the blast.

Amran arrived at the South Sulawesi Police Headquarters at
about 10:30 p.m. on Sunday under tight security. Among those
accompanying the suspect was the top detective of the Luwu
Police, Adj. Comr. Firman.

Firman said investigators working the Makassar bombing had
found that Amran attended a meeting at Agung's house to plan the
attack.

Amran also accompanied Agung to the troubled town of Poso in
Central Sulawesi, which has been torn apart by sectarian fighting
since 2000, he said.

These findings were corroborated by testimony from witnesses,
according to the officer.

The McDonald's attack took place only about two months after
the October bombings on the resort island of Bali, which killed
nearly 200 people and injured some 300 others, most foreigner
tourists.

The National Police have linked the Bali blasts and the
Makassar attack, blaming both on the regional terror group Jamaah
Islamiyah.

Investigators say Agung Hamid is a colleague of Imam Samudra,
the alleged mastermind of the Bali attacks. The two suspects are
both believed to have attended terrorist training camps in
Afghanistan.