Terrorists may stike back for Azahari: BIN

Terrorists may stike back for Azahari: BIN

Agence France-Presse, Jakarta

The killing of Malaysian bombmaker Azahari bin Husin by Indonesian police could spark revenge attacks and kidnappings for ransom, National Intelligence Agency (BIN) director Syamsir Siregar warned on Wednesday.

Syamsir said that before his death, Azahari and his compatriot Noordin Mohammad Top -- who is still at large -- had recruited an unknown number of militants who had then received training in terrorist techniques.

"They are capable of carrying out their work without the need for orders from the two (Malaysians)," he told reporters.

Militants could be inspired by Azahari's death to launch fresh attacks, he said.

"It is quite possible as they won't take the fact that their leader is dead lying down," Syamsir replied when asked whether the death could provide motivation for attacks on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and other senior officials.

Susilo on Tuesday confirmed that the security threat against him had increased according to information provided by the intelligence agency. Officials have not divulged, however, whether any specific threat had been made.

Syamsir said that extremists could turn to kidnapping for ransom to fund their activities. Warnings about kidnappings have been made before by the authorities but no mention had been made of ransom demands.

"There are threats to abduct officials and businessmen as part of their efforts to raise funds," he said.

Police and troops in the world's most populous Muslim nation have already been on high alert over the Christmas - New Year period amid concerns about reprisal attacks following Azahari's death last month at his East Java hideout.

Azahari and Noordin were key members of the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) extremist network, blamed for the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people as well as a string of other attacks in Indonesia.

Both are believed to have formed their own force after splitting from JI's mainstream command structure, which is concerned about heavy Muslim casualties in deadly JI blasts in recent years.

Documents found in Azahari's East Java hideout also indicated that the extremists were planning attacks over the holiday period.

Spy chief Syamsir suggested that a string of bank and jewelry store robberies in Jakarta and neighboring towns in West Java in recent weeks may also have been carried out by militants "trying to raise local funds".

"(Their) foreign-sourced funds are quite likely to have dried up," Siregar said.

National Police spokesman Paulus Purwoko said the weapons used by the bank raiders and the ones seized at Azahari's hideout were all home made.

"These similarities lead us to conclude that they could be linked to the Azahari group," he told reporters.

Syamsir also urged U.S., Australian, British and Italian diplomats to contact local police for additional security if they felt threatened.