Suicide bombers responsible

2005-10-02 13:59

Kuta, Indonesia - Suicide bombers carried out the deadly bombings on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono confirmed on Sunday during a visit to the scene.

"The result of the investigation so far indicates that the bombings were carried out by suicide bombers," he told a news conference. "It is obvious that we need to take more effective action to anticipate suicide bombings."

Indonesia's anti-terrorism chief also said Saturday's blasts which killed at least 26 people were believed to be the work of three suicide bombers and bore the hallmarks of the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah network.

"The modus operandi is very similar to the previous bombings, the use of backpacks, whose remnants were found at the scene of the blasts," Ansyaad Mbai, the head of the anti-terrorism desk at the security ministry said.

Yudhoyono flew to Bali with his top ministers to visit the three sites of the blasts which he has already said were the work of terrorists.

Later on Sunday he will meet the national police chief, the national intelligence chief and the top security minister, to discuss the investigation and plans to strengthen security in Bali and neighbouring Lombok, officials said.

Mbai said he suspected that Malaysian fugitive terror suspects, Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohammad Top, were the masterminds behind the blasts.

British-trained engineer Azahari and his compatriot Noordin are among the most dangerous Jemaah Islamiyah militants at large and are believed to have played key roles in previous deadly attacks inside Indonesia.

"Our suspicion is based on its similarity to the previous bombings in Kuta," Mbai said of the link with the pair, referring to Bali's tourist strip where two bombs exploded almost simultaneously in October 2002, killing 202 people.

Mbai said he had seen the mutilated bodies of suspected suicide bombers believed to be responsible for Saturday's attacks.

"It is believed that a suicide bomber was involved in each of three sites," he said.

National Police Chief General Sutanto confirmed a report that Bali police are looking for three men suspected of involvement in the bomb blasts.

Metro television, quoting sources at the Bali provincial police headquarters, said that three suspects were being sought in addition to the suicide bombers.

It said that the bombers are believed to have used two cars in their operations, a locally-assembled van and a compact car.

Sutanto, who is accompanying Yudhoyono on his visit to Bali, replied "yes" when asked by the media whether the report about the three suspects was true, but did not give any more details.

- AFP