JP1/1/TERROR

Azahari's disciples still on the loose: Police chief

The Jakarta Post Malang/Majalengka/Bandung/Jakarta

Police chief Gen. Sutanto warned people on Wednesday to remain vigilant as disciples of master bombmaker Azahari bin Husin were still on the loose.

Azahari, who was killed in a police raid last week, had trained several followers, many of whom had not been caught, which worries police investigators, Sutanto said in Jakarta.

"His cohorts have already learned to make bombs, although not at a level of sophistication as Azahari," explained Sutanto, as quoted by Agence France Presse.

He said the police had found a video showing Azahari teaching a group of people bombmaking skills.

Separately, Sutanto's aide Insp. Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika commented that the master bombmaker had trained at least 40 suicide bombers to carry out a series of terror attacks around Christmas time.

The number of bombers was based on police findings after the raid on Azahari's rented house in the quiet town of Batu, East Java. The police discovered dozens of explosive devices at the house, Pastika said.

"We have to always be on alert as these people are ready to die," said Pastika, the chief of the Bali Police, who was involved in the probe of the 2002 Kuta nightclub attacks, which killed over 200 people. Azahari's group -- as part of the Jamaah Islamiyah terror network -- have been blamed for that and a number of other high-profile terror attacks in the country.

The most recent terror act attributed to his group was the triple suicide bombing in Bali six weeks ago. That attack, at three separate restaurants, killed 23 people.

Meanwhile, police officers continued the manhunt on Monday for Azahari's key accomplice Noordin Mohd. Top and other suspected terrorists.

The Police antiterror squad, helped by local police units, tracked down members of the Azahari cells to the regencies of Trenggalek and Nganjuk in East Java, while in Malang, police worked with local government officials in scouring residential areas near Azahari's rented house. In addition to the manhunt, top police officers in East Java have also warned all police officers in the area to remain on high alert.

Officers are also still looking for weapons caches after a tip by a former colleague of Azahari's -- Nurkosim.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Soenarko said in Jakarta the police were still questioning Nurkosim, who is believed to have worked with Azahari, but has been in prison in Madiun, East Java since 2000 on charges of financial fraud.

Separately in Bandung, deputy chief of the National Police Comr. Gen. Adang Darajatun called on the public to revive an old security rule, which obliges anybody entering a community to report to the neighborhood unit head if he or she stays in respective neighborhood for over 24 hours.

"Indonesia is vast and the police need people to help locate the terrorists," said Adang.

Meanwhile in Majalengka, West Java, relatives of alleged terrorist Muhammad Salik agreed to allow the government to keep Salik's body if would aid their investigation. Salik was believed to be one of the three Oct. 1 Bali suicide bombers.

The family's lawyer, Emi Klanawidjaja, said they would not demand that the government return Salik's remains.