Police name two more suspects in Marriott bombing
Abdul Khalik The Jakarta Post Jakarta
Police announced the names on Friday of two more suspects in the deadly JW Marriott Hotel bombing as the result of a reenactment by two detained suspects, Ismail and Tohir, on Wednesday.
National Police deputy chief of public relations Brig. Soenarko said that Abu Dujana and Qotadah had been declared suspects for helping hide terrorist suspects, including Malaysian explosives experts Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Moh Top, both still at large.
"The two names emerged during the reenactment in Cirebon and Bandung. We are still trying to figure out the exact role of the two men. What we do know is that they have a connection with Azahari and Noordin," said Soenarko.
He also said that the two were added to the police wanted list.
Ismail and Tohir were captured in Cirebon, West Java in September and had been accused of helping both Azahari and Noordin in executing the JW Marriott attack. Both have since been in police custody.
"However, we can't ignore the other fugitives, including Dulmatin as well as Azahari and Noordin. It is just that we may be able to capture Abu and Qotadah faster than the latter," said Soenarko.
Dulmatin is an explosives expert who was trained by Azahari and also allegedly played a prominent role in bomb attacks in Indonesia.
On Oct. 12, 2002 bombs ripped through the Sari Club and Paddy's bar in the Resort Island of Bali. Over 200 vacationers, mostly foreigners were killed, while some 300 others were injured in the bombings. Less than a year after, on Aug. 5, a suicide bombing at the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta killed a Dutch banker and eleven Indonesians while injuring 147 others.
The attacks have been blamed on al-Qaeda-linked Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terror network, which is also accused of a string of other attacks.
Azahari and Noordin are wanted both for the hotel attack and the Bali bombings. They narrowly escaped a police raid at a boarding house in Bandung, West Java in October.
Police say Azahari and Noordin are carrying explosives with them and are planning fresh attacks.
Police have managed to capture over 30 people, including masterminds Amrozi, Imam Samudra and Mukhlas in the Bali bombing case. Most of them have been tried and three have been sentenced to death while others received long jail sentences, including life imprisonment. Most of the suspects in the JW Marriott Hotel attack are also ready for trial.