Would-be bus bombers 'from new group'

Would-be bus bombers 'from new group'

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

Police suspect that a man who is believed to have stashed boxes
full of explosives in an intercity bus on Friday was not part of
a group recruited by fugitives Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Moh.
Top.

West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Edi Darnadi said on Saturday
that their suspicion was based on the differences in the
explosives being used.

He said that the 13 kilograms of explosive material discovered
in nine cylinders on Friday contained potassium chlorate, sulfur,
charcoal, iron that contained an oxidator, and a detonator.

Although one of the cylinders, which was already wired to a
detonator, made a rumbling explosive noise when detonated by the
police antiterror squad, Edi said the materials were not
considered to be high explosives.

"Such materials are commonly used (to attack) public places.
The assembly was quite simple, but it still requires people who
know a lot about explosives," he said.

Edi said such explosives were found in the conflict-torn area
of Ambon in Maluku province.

The police on Saturday issued a sketch of the suspect (shown
below), issuing it to the mass media as well as distributing it
to police personnel.

The suspect is around 160 cm tall, 25 to 30 years of age, has
an oval-shaped face, thin lips, short hair and brown skin.

Police said the suspect had boarded the Mekar Jaya bus at the
Guntir bus terminal in Garut wearing a cream-colored shirt and
trousers made from a dark fabric.

Edi said the way the suspect used public transport convinced
the police that he was not one of Azahari's followers, who used
cars.

The explosives were not attached to detonators to prevent them
from possibly exploding before reaching the destination.

"It seemed that the perpetrators did not want to risk being
caught using private vehicles. That's why they used a public bus
where passengers can easily get on and off.

"It would be difficult for people to know who the owner is if
the boxes are minded by different people who get on and off at
designated spots, before being handed to the final receiver at
the Cicaheum terminal," said Edi.

The Mekar Jaya bus driver, Udin Syaefuddin, said he had
dropped off three men in Cinunuk, around two kilometers from the
Cibiru traffic circle where the bus was intercepted by the police
on Friday.

Edi said the police had been able to trace the explosives
through intelligence reports over the past month, and by tailing
several suspicious groups of people.

Police have been sifting West Java trying to find two
Malaysian bomb experts, Azahari and Noordin Top, who have been
accused of orchestrating bomb attacks in the country over the
past few years.

Edi said the West Java police, who suspect that the group
planned to create public unrest ahead of the Christmas and New
Year celebrations, are beefing up security at 472 churches, 156
night entertainment spots, 114 recreational locations, 82
supermarkets, 72 foreign establishments, and 230 hotels in West
Java.

Around 5,000 personnel will also be deployed to back 10,664
police personnel on guard.