The bomb which ripped through a hotel in the Indonesian capital Jakarta was detonated by a mobile phone, police said on Wednesday.
”This modus operandi is similar to the Bali bombing and the bombing at the house of the Philippines ambassador,” said national detective chief Erwin Mappaseng.
The parallels with last October’s attack on the island of Bali have reinforced suspicions that Tuesday’s bombing of the JW Marriott Hotel, which left up to 14 dead and 150 injured, was carried out by the ah Islamiyah (JI) network, blamed for the Bali blasts.
At a press conference Mappaseng also released a sketch of the last known buyer of the Kijang van which exploded outside the Marriott. He was described as aged about 30 and originating from Lampung in South Sumatra.
The Bali attack killed 202 people. The blast at the ambassador’s residence in August 2000, which is also blamed on JI, killed two people and injured 21. – Sapa-AFP