The site of the blast in Bali

By Kazi Mahmood, IOL South East Asia correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, October 17 (IslamOnline) - Indonesian police will name two suspects in last Saturday’s bomb blast in Bali, which claimed 186 lives according to latest figures, news agencies reported Thursday, October 17.

Local police examined 54 witnesses, all of them Indonesians, sources said. Bali Police chief, Brig Gen Budi Setyawan disclosed to the press in Denpansar that the two potential suspects are Indonesian citizens from Java, Bernama reported.

He also said the type of bomb used was the high-powered RBX and that explained the extent of the damage and the death toll.

A state controlled company earlier said that the bombs that exploded in Legian, Bali did not come from Indonesia. PT Pindad spokesperson Timbul Sitompul has said the material used in the bombs could only be found in Europe and U.S., according to Tempo magazine.

PT Pindad is the state company that produces military equipment including ammunition, weapons and grenades.

Sitompul also identified the explosive material used in the bombs as C-4.

According to Sitompul, Indonesia does not use the C-4 material to explode anything in the military activities or mining business.

He added that Indonesian Military (TNI) does not possess any material with as high explosive power as C-4 and PT Pindad is yet capable of producing C-4, thus refuting allegations that the TNI may have had anything to do with the bombing.

Meanwhile, the Laskar Jihad has disbanded itself and has ceased to exist, Antara news agency said on Wednesday.

The Laskar Jihad (or Jihad Force) has been liquidated and former members are now back working in their own professions.

The Jihad Force Chief, Jafar Umar Thalib, confirmed this information to Tempo magazine.

In line with the liquidation, the Jihad Force has removed its nameplates in various places, including in the Jihad Force office in Yogyakarta.

Sources in Jakarta said the Jihad Force office in Yogyakarta was the target of investigation before the Bali bombing, the U.S. having claimed that the office was used by Al-Qaeda operatives.

However, the investigation did not lead to any Al-Qaeda activities, the local police said.

Thalib was reluctant to explain the reason for the liquidation, only saying that he would focus on his students. Observers in Jakarta says that Thalib was advised not engage in any activities pending his court case.

The Jihad Force has also removed 800 of its members in the ‘hot spot’ area, Maluku where it is reported it assisted Muslims to fight off attacks by Christian groups.

The Jihad Force was established during an urgent situation in Ambon and Maluku. Since the areas are secure now, it is no problem if this organization be liquidated, a member of the Force said to Tempo.

The Force declined to comment whether it disbanded its troops and virtually shut down in order not to be the focus of attacks and criticism from the U.S. and its allies, that accused it of having links with the Al-Qaeda.

Vice President Hamzah Haz on his part said the liquidation of the Jihad Force showed that radical Islamic movements in Indonesia tended to be more moderate now.

The Vice President rejected allegations that the Jihad Force and other Islamic movements were involved in the Bali blasts.  

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