Posted on 12/09/2002 2:50:33 PM PST by knighthawk
JAKARTA: The bombers who killed three people at a McDonald's restaurant in Makassar are part of the network that staged the Bali bombing, a senior Indonesian police officer was on Monday quoted as saying.
"They are part of a national or international terrorist network, the same one responsible for past bombings in Indonesia including the one in Bali in October," South Sulawesi police chief Firman Gani was quoted by the Jakarta Post online edition as saying.
The people who bombed the McDonald's outlet and a car dealership in Makassar last Thursday were also planning to bomb churches in the city and other towns in South Sulawesi, Gani was quoted as saying.
He told reporters pictures of churches and maps of their locations were discovered in a metal workshop owned by one of the suspects still at large.
Police also found 2.5 kg of TNT, some black powder low explosive material, detonators and a booklet on how to assemble bombs.
Gani said one of the bombers was killed in the blast. Police have arrested three suspects and are looking for two more.
Gani told ElShinta radio that workshop owner Mansur was one of those arrested.
He said that Mansur was also believed to have access to firearms from overseas but gave no details.
Both the Ratu Indah shopping mall, which housed the fast food franchise, and the Toyota showroom are owned by Indonesian Welfare Minister Yusuf Kalla.
Kalla negotiated an agreement last December to end Muslim-Christian battles in Central Sulawesi as well as a deal in February to end sectarian fighting in the Maluku islands.
Sporadic bombings have continued in both regions despite the peace pacts.
Did they run out of C-4?
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