Detonator, timer found at Medan bomb blast site

Detonator, timer found at Medan bomb blast site

MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): A damaged detonator and timer along
with other objects related to a homemade bomb were found by Medan
Police at the bomb site on Jl. Syailendra on Monday, head of
Medan Police Laboratory Supt. Anto Sugiarto said.

Anto said the lab officers were combing the site soon after
the bomb exploded on Sunday afternoon.

"We also found a cover to the bomb. We've been examining all
the evidence, but we have not yet come to any conclusions,
including on the type of explosive used."

Anto said the bomb, containing highly explosive material, was
set off from a distance. But he said he had no idea what type of
explosive was used.

"I assume the explosive was put in a pedicab parked on the
side of Jl. Mataram," Anto said.

The bomb, which killed one person and injured six others,
exploded near an Indonesian Protestant Church (GKPI) and the
Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI).

Hotinda Sihite, 22, died from severe injuries to her head. Two
of the six injured are in critical condition at Herna Nursing
School Hospital.

Deputy Governor Wahab Dalimunthe said after he visited two of
the injured, Imelda Borumanik and Cacah Putri, at the hospital
that the North Sumatra administration would pay all the victims'
medical expenses.

The Indonesian Communion of Churches has also agreed to
allocate money for the victims' medical expenses.

Meanwhile, North Sumatra Police spokesman Supt. Amrin Karim
confirmed on Monday that three people, "two security guards and
one employee of the Institute of Science and Technology," were
being questioned in connection with the blast.

He did not say if they were being detained.

Medan has been a target for terrorists, judging from the
series of explosions in various places in the city this year.

On May 28 a bomb blast rocked a GKPI church on Jl. Padang
Bulan, injuring more than 45 people attending a service.

Also in May, three other bombs were planted in two churches.
They did not explode, but three were injured after another
explosion destroyed a restaurant on Jl. Pemuda.

Two other blasts took place in an area near Jl. Bahagia in
August. No fatalities were reported.

Police have been criticized for failing to discover any of the
bombs. No suspects were arrested for the blasts.

HSD Panggabean, a councillor, said on Monday that police
should work extra hard to investigate all the bombings in Medan.

"We don't want the cases to remain unsolved. Police must
finish their investigations with good results. The bombings have
created unrest among the people," he said.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf linked the
blast to the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels.

"The indications are obvious. Medan is very close to Aceh and
(GAM) always creates public disorder every time police conduct an
operation," Saleh told reporters in Jakarta.

The police, however, was facing difficulties in finding the
suspects because so far nobody was willing to testify.

Meanwhile, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker and
National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Amien Rais said in Siantar
on Monday that those who planned the bombings were just political
thugs. Quoted by Ahmad Mulyadi, the deputy secretary of the head
of the North Sumatra chapter of PAN, Amien urged the police to
arrest the barbaric and irresponsible people behind the fatal
bombings. (39/jaw/sur)