Indonesian police arrest 53 linked to new militant cell

By NINIEK KARMINI
Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian police say they have arrested at least 53 suspected militants in recent weeks believed to have links to banned extremist groups, in a nationwide crackdown on a new cell of Jemaah Islamiyah, blamed for a string of past bombings. Police say the arrests were made in 11 provinces in the past two weeks, including five men who were arrested on Thursday. Those arrested are mostly suspected of being members of Jemaah Islamiyah, an al-Qaida-linked group responsible for 2002 bombings in Bali that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists, and other attacks. Police say the arrests followed tips that convicted leaders and veteran fighters in Afghanistan were recruiting and training new members.