Indonesia Police Detain Radical Muslim Cleric
- 14 years ago
Indonesia's police have detained radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, the leader of Islamist group. He was arrested for links to Islamic militant training camps.
On Monday, Indonesia's anti-terror police unit detained radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir in West Java.
Police had strong evidence Bashir was connected to training camps in Indonesia's westernmost Aceh province that had planned attacks against the President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
[Edward Aritonang, Police Spokesperson]: (male, Bahasa Indonesia)
"We have found that the correlation is very clear, that the process of military training camps in Aceh, the plan of explosive activities they were planning to do, and the discovery of a bomb lab in Cibiru, Bandung. All were prepared and well organized."
Bashir was brought to Jakarta under tight guard for further investigation to determine his role in the militant camps.
Five other people, believed to be connected to the arrest, were on their way to Jakarta for further investigation as well.
Bashir is the leader of hardline Islamist group Jema'ah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT) and was a founder of the al-Mukmin boarding school at Ngruki in Solo. The school had produced several graduates who went on to plan and execute a string of deadly attacks in Indonesia.
Bashir was jailed for conspiracy in the 2002 Bali bombings, but released in June 2006 and later cleared of wrongdoing.
Indonesia was hit by deadly bomb attacks on hotels in the capital Jakarta last year.
On Monday, Indonesia's anti-terror police unit detained radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir in West Java.
Police had strong evidence Bashir was connected to training camps in Indonesia's westernmost Aceh province that had planned attacks against the President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
[Edward Aritonang, Police Spokesperson]: (male, Bahasa Indonesia)
"We have found that the correlation is very clear, that the process of military training camps in Aceh, the plan of explosive activities they were planning to do, and the discovery of a bomb lab in Cibiru, Bandung. All were prepared and well organized."
Bashir was brought to Jakarta under tight guard for further investigation to determine his role in the militant camps.
Five other people, believed to be connected to the arrest, were on their way to Jakarta for further investigation as well.
Bashir is the leader of hardline Islamist group Jema'ah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT) and was a founder of the al-Mukmin boarding school at Ngruki in Solo. The school had produced several graduates who went on to plan and execute a string of deadly attacks in Indonesia.
Bashir was jailed for conspiracy in the 2002 Bali bombings, but released in June 2006 and later cleared of wrongdoing.
Indonesia was hit by deadly bomb attacks on hotels in the capital Jakarta last year.