Blast kills suspected bombmaker

Blast kills suspected bombmaker

La Remmy and Erik W., The Jakarta Post, Palu, Sulawesi Tengah

A suspected bombmaker was killed on Thursday as the powerful
explosive device he was assembling exploded in the Central
Sulawesi regency of Poso, which has been experiencing an uneasy
peace after two years of sectarian fighting finished in 2001.

The victim was identified as Bachtiar alias Manto, 20, said
Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. M. Taufik Ridha.

He said the blast blew off Bachtiar's hands and severely
damaged his legs, head, eyes and chest. He died instantly.

Taufik said the home-made bomb exploded at around 9 a.m. in a
house belonging to Bachtiar's father Arsiah Ali, in Kayamanya
village, Poso.

Arsiah survived the incident as he was outside the house. But
most parts of the house, including the roof, windows and its
front wall, were destroyed.

"So, the exploding bomb was quite powerful," Taufik said.

He said Bachtiar was wanted by the police for his alleged
involvement in a July 11 bombing, that wounded four people at the
Victoria cafe in Poso. One of the victims, identified as
Sutrisno, 40, sustained serious wounds, and had his right leg and
left hand amputated.

Bachtiar had also been wanted in connection with the burning
of a Linda Jaya bus in 2001, Taufik added.

"We have been searching for him since the incident in 2001.
And we finally found him killed by an explosion in his own
house," he said.

The police chief said Bachtiar was the suspected maker of the
bomb. His body was found in a crouched position and bent over,
close to the location of the bomb's explosion.

Police also discovered ammonium nitrate, cables, a kerosene
lamp, a timer, batteries and a lighter.

Taufik said the preliminary findings show that Bachtiar may
have also been connected with several other bomb explosions at
state-owned electricity company PT PLN's office in Palu, Central
Kalimantan.

The latest blast came two days after a powerful bomb explosion
killed 10 people at the luxurious JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta on
Tuesday.

However, police have not yet linked the Poso blast with the
Marriot attack. They are questioning five witnesses, including
Bachtiar's parents about the incident, Taufik said.

Some 2,000 people were killed in Poso during two years of
fighting between Muslim and Christian groups. In December 2001,
the government brokered a peace deal between the warring factions
but sporadic violence continues.

Since the peace pact, a series of bombing incidents and
unsolved shootings has occurred in Poso. None of the suspects
have been caught, despite enforced security.

On July 10, Yulius Ledo Pamimi, a 32-year-old resident of
Saatu village in Poso, was shot dead by a sniper.

Police were still in the dark about the culprits as the
bullets that killed Yulius could not be recovered because his
family refused to permit an autopsy to be performed.

Another bomb also exploded in June in Kawua village, Lage
subdistrict, when local residents were holding a traditional
dance party. No injuries were reported in this blast.

In May, two other people were also shot dead by snipers in
another part of Poso.

The chairman of the Poso national unity board, Moch Amirullah
Sia, claimed the Thursday blast surprised local people but did
not alter regular activities.

"The situation here is normal, the residents are not provoked
and they carry out the daily activities as usual," he said.