Singapore warns of fresh JI attacks

Singapore warns of fresh JI attacks

SINGAPORE: The Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist network is drawing up plans for an attack similar to the deadly 2002 Bali nightclub bombings, a senior Singapore official said, citing intelligence provided by Indonesia's government.

According to a letter written by a member of the al-Qaeda- linked group and obtained by Indonesian authorities, Jamaah Islamiyah has recruited more members and is plotting suicide bombings, said Minister of Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng.

"A letter recovered in Indonesia, written by a JI member, said that 12 operatives were ready to be martyrs and that plans for a Bali-style attack were underway," Wong told intelligence officials in a speech late on Monday.

The October 2002 bombings on the Indonesian resort island of Bali ripped through a packed nightclub, killing 202 people, mostly foreigners. Among the dead were 88 Australian tourists.

JI was identified as the group behind that attack and was blamed for a suicide car bombing outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta in September that killed 10 people. -- Reuters