Susilo warns of more bombing attacks

JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned here on Monday that bomb attacks on places of worships in the country would continue in the next few days.

"Intelligence information which has been obtained by the police said that there are still efforts to launch similar actions in other houses of worship," Susilo told a snap press briefing at his office.

Susilo said the bombings could be carried out in the next few days by the same group on places of worship of other religions with the aim of setting communities at war with each other.

His statement came as a series of Christmas Eve bombings at churches across the country Sunday killed at least 15 people, including two police officers, and injured 96 others.

The explosions raised suspicions that a well organized group -- including elements within the security forces -- was responsible.

But Susilo said so far nothing in the investigations indicated the hand of the armed forces or any other particular group.

Susilo on Monday also called on the public to remain calm and said that so far no decision has yet to be taken as to whether the government would soon impose an emergency status in Jakarta.

President Abdurrahman Wahid said earlier in the day the aim of the bombings was "to shake the government, create panic and fear so that the government cannot function."

He said the almost simultaneous explosions, in eight cities late on Sunday, showed the bombers were "well organized" and used to cooperating.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf told a media conference later on Monday that bombs went off almost simultaneously at around 9 p.m. in at least six provinces - Jakarta, East Java, West Java, West Nusa Tenggara, North Sumatra and Riau - on Sunday.

Of the 15 casualties, three were killed in Jakarta, six in West Java, one in East Java and five in Riau, Saleh said.

He also said that police managed to defuse 16 out of 31 bombs they recovered on Sunday.

Saleh said that most bombs were disguised as Christmas packages sent to the churches shortly before the mass service and they were then remotely detonated.

He also said that so far 48 people had been questioned by the police.

National Police forensics chief Brig. Gen. Erwin Mapaseng told journalists that some of the bombs contained trinitrotoluene (TNT), in addition to substances such as sulfur and phosphate.

"There was TNT and this is among the high explosives ... in addition to such substances as sulphur and phosphate," Erwin said.

But Erwin said the devices were "conventional" and different from those used in attacks on the Jakarta Stock Exchange, the Attorney General's office and the home of the Philippine ambassador earlier this year.

One of the unexploded bombs, found against the southern wall of Jakarta's Roman Catholic cathedral, weighed 13 kilograms pounds), he said, and another at an Anglican church 14 kilograms.

Saleh earlier described the bombs as home made and said the explosives used in them were of a type "not used by the military."

Suspects

Meanwhile, National Police chief's intelligence assistant Insp. Gen. Ansa'ad Bei said on late Monday that police have identified two suspects in the bombings.

Ansa'ad was quoted by Satunet news service as saying the two people had been declared suspects for building home-made bombs.

He said the two were among a group of at least five people believed to have been constructing bombs in a rented house in the West Java capital of Bandung, when one exploded accidentally Sunday afternoon.

Three people were killed in the explosion, while two others were hospitalized with injuries.

"They've now become suspects," Ansa'ad was quoted as telling a media conference, by the Detik.com news service.

He said, however, the two suspects were not yet well enough to be questioned intensively.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen. Moelyono Sulaeman conveyed his apology early Monday for the Christmas eve bombings in the capital city on Sunday.

Speaking after an emergency meeting with Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso and religious leaders, Moelyono admitted that police did not anticipate that the bombs were planted in vehicles parked near the churches.

Earlier, Sutiyoso had expressed condolences to the family of the victims and said that Jakarta administration would cover the medical expenses of those injured in the incident.(dja/ylt)