Military seizes bomb-making material

Military seizes bomb-making material

PALU, Central Sulawesi: The military said on Sunday it found 2.75 tons of bomb-making material during a two-day security operation in Banggai regency, Central Sulawesi.

"We have sent all of the evidence to the Banggai Police for further investigation," local military district commander Lt. Col. Bambang Riyadi said.

He said 110 sacks of ammonium nitrate, each weighing 25 kilograms, were seized during the operation. Ammonium nitrate is frequently used to make bombs.

The sacks of ammonium nitrate, bearing the brand name "Matahari", are thought to have been purchased from a black market in East Malaysia, Bambang said.

He said the material was seized on Friday, after soldiers became suspicious of a vehicle and discovered five sacks of ammonium nitrate inside.

This led troops to a house in the Tanjung neighborhood of Luwuk, the capital of Banggai, where they found an additional 90 sacks of the material.

The owner of the house, identified only as Marni, was able to escape arrest, Bambang said. --Antara