Thai govt probes Hambali's contacts

Thai govt probes Hambali's contacts

THAILAND: Thai security officials are investigating 20 Muslim
leaders in southern Thailand for suspected financial links with
detained Indonesian terrorist Hambali, media reports said on
Tuesday.

The probe is examining whether southern Muslim militants have
been receiving financial support from the al-Qaeda terrorist
network or the Indonesia-based Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) Muslim
militant group, The Nation newspaper reported, citing
"intelligence sources".

Hambali, who was arrested in the Thai city of Ayutthaya last
August by a joint force of Thai and U.S. security personnel, was
believed to be al-Qaeda's chief Southeast Asia operative.

Authorities also believe he masterminded the JI-blamed
bombings of two nightspots on Oct. 12, 2002, in Bali that killed
202 people.

Hambali has been detained at an undisclosed location by U.S.
officials since his arrest. --DPA