சிங்கப்பூர்: இஸ்லாமிய பயங்கரவாத தலைவர் இந்தோனேஷியாவுக்கு தப்பி ஓட்டமா?

சிங்கப்பூரின் இஸ்லாமிய பயங்கரவாத தலைவர் இந்தோனேஷியாவுக்கு தப்பி பதுங்கியிருக்கலாம் என்று இந்தோனேஷிய போலீஸ் கூறியுள்ளது

Singapore JI leader may be in Indonesia: police
Posted Sat Jul 12, 2008 2:46pm AEST

Indonesia police chief says a suspected Islamic militant believed to head a Singapore cell of regional network Jemaah Islamiah (JI) may be hiding in Indonesia, where he could blend in more easily.

Mas Selamat bin Kastari escaped from a Singapore detention centre in February, where he was being held for allegedly plotting to crash a plane into Singapore's airport.

Singapore officials have previously expressed concern Kastari might try to hook up again with the JI network, blamed for the 2002 nightclub bombings in Bali that killed 202 people.

Asked whether Kastari might be hiding in Indonesia, Indonesian police chief Sutanto told reporters: "It's possible."

He added that language and cultural similarities meant the fugitive would be able to blend in more easily.

"If he moved to Europe he would be caught," he added.

Kastari's escape embarrassed Singapore authorities and sparked a massive manhunt on the island which saw Nepali Gurkhas combing forests and a global security alert from Interpol.

Sutanto said police were still investigating a network of suspected militants detained recently in Palembang on Indonesia's Sumatra island.

The group of 10 were detained in raids by Indonesia's anti-terrorism unit and a large cache of bombs was found.