Three suspects arrested over recent in Poso blasts: Police

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Three suspects in last week's Poso bombings were arrested on Sunday by a joint team from the Central Sulawesi Police and the South Sulawesi Police.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Soenarko said on Tuesday the three suspects, identified only by the initials SC, SY and SF, were arrested in Pandajaya village in Poso regency, Central Sulawesi.

"We located and arrested the suspects based on information we received from our interrogation of Amiruddin, a suspect we arrested earlier," Soenarko said.

Amiruddin was arrested last week over a riot in Mamasa regency, West Sulawesi, two weeks ago. So far, he is the only suspect arrested for the riot.

Soenarko would not say whether the Poso blasts were linked with the Mamasa riot. He said the joint team had to complete its investigation before any conclusion could be reached.

National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar earlier said there was suspicion the Mamasa riot was linked to the Poso blasts. He said Amirrudin had confessed that he and several other people had planned to create chaos by sparking a riot.

No injuries were reported in last week's Poso blasts, when two low-explosive bombs went off in two separate locations on Thursday.

The first explosion occurred at about 7:50 p.m., damaging the office of the Center for Conflict Resolution and Peace. The second bomb was detonated two hours later, damaging the office of the Institute for the Empowerment of Civil Society in Poso.

Soenarko said the joint team also confiscated two air rifles, 20 live bullets, two bombs, five detonators, several video compact discs and several documents in the location where the three suspects were hiding.

"Right now the three suspects are being detained by the Central Sulawesi Police," Soenarko said.

He said the suspects had been on the Central Sulawesi Police's wanted list for months for separate crimes.

However, when asked to confirm rumors that one of the suspects was linked to the 2003 Marriott hotel bombing in Jakarta, Soenarko said he could not confirm anything before the joint team finished its investigation.

"It is possible that we will have more suspects soon since the investigation is far from finished," Soenarko said.