'GAM or Azahari responsible for bombs'

'GAM or Azahari responsible for bombs'

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

Medan Police chief Sr. Comr. Bagus Kurniawan said on Wednesday
that the police were focusing their investigations into the
discovery of five live bombs in a Medan mall on two distinct
groups.

The two groups in question were the terrorist group allegedly
led by Dr. Azahari and the rebel Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

"It's probable that one of these groups is responsible for the
bombs," he said.

The five, live, high-explosive devices were discovered on
Tuesday by a supermarket employee at the Macam Yaohan supermarket
in the mall. They had failed to explode as their batteries were
flat.

Bombs are regularly discovered in Medan, the capital of North
Sumatra. Packs of explosive were found at the Sukaramai market in
January. Seven GAM members were arrested and another one was shot
dead in connection with the explosives. In January 2000, several
homemade bombs were found in three churches in the city. Abu
Yasar, an alleged member of the Jamaah Islamiyah terrorist group,
is still awaiting trial in the Medan District Court in connection
with the planned church bombings.

Dr. Azahari, who is accused of being involved in a church
bombing and the Marriott hotel bombing last year in Jakarta, is
still at large.

Bagus said that police investigators were now preparing
sketches of those whom they believed were connected with the
bombs in the Medan mall.

"We have questioned 10 witnesses, and are making our sketches
based on their descriptions," he said.