Bali: Islamic militants blamed
2002-10-22 12:48
Jakarta - Indonesian police said on Tuesday they were preparing a sketch of a suspect in the bloody Bali bombings, and that the operation bore the hallmarks of Jemaah Islamiah.
"Witness statements indicate one person is believed to be the perpetrator and based on that we are going to provide a sketch," national police chief Da'i Bachtiar told a news conference.
He said there was no proof that Jemaah Islamiah - tied to al-Qaeda and accused of terrorist plots by some Southeast Asian officials - was responsible for the October 12 bombing, but the attack bore its hallmark.
"We haven't found the linkage, but taking into account the analysis we've developed, there is a similarity in terms of operations," Bachtiar said.
He gave no details of the suspect or what similarities the Bali bombs bore to other attacks blamed on Jemaah Islamiah, which officials in Washington say may soon be placed on the US list of terrorist organisations.
Chief Security Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, reflecting recent statements by ministers in Britain and Australia, said intelligence suggested the possibility of more attacks that could take a different form.
"Our intelligence also indicates a possibility of another terror act," he said. "It may happen in an unprecedented way."
He also said Indonesia had beefed up security, especially at airports and oil and gas fields that provide economically struggling Indonesia with its biggest exports.
"We also have increased the security at airports across the country. The security of other vital infrastructure has also been intensified, particularly in energy site areas," he said.
But Bachtiar said there was "no need to panic" and called for popular support to head off violent extremists.
"We have intensified security at all sites which are prone to terror acts. We also urge people to support us in tackling terrorism," he said.
Australia, which may have lost around 90 people in the Bali carnage, Britain and the United States have all issued strong warnings to their citizens that there may be more attacks in Indonesia.
They have also said there are fears of a violent backlash in the world's most populous Muslim nation, including demonstrations aimed at Westerners, following the detention of militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, the alleged Jemaah Islamiah leader.
Western analysts in Jakarta say an immediate violent backlash is unlikely in a country stunned by the Bali bombs and there has been no evidence yet that the thousands of expatriates in the sprawling archipelago are rushing to leave.