Indonesia police detain six suspected militants

Indonesian police said on Sunday they had arrested six men in Medan in North Sumatra province who may be linked to a suspected Islamic militant group which was broken up in neighbouring Aceh.                                           

The men were detained around dawn after a police patrol became suspicious about their dirty vehicle, North Sumatra police chief Oegroseno said. He said that one of the men had a gunshot wound on his hand, while two others were still being sought by police after fleeing.                                           
 

Police found maps of Sumatra island and Medan city, but no weapons or explosives, the police chief said.                        

National police spokesman Edward Aritonang said the suspects were being investigated and that they might be linked to a jihadist group in staunchly Islamic Aceh province.                                           

Police carried out a series of raids after the militant training camp was discovered in February in a remote part of Aceh and 43 suspects have since been arrested and seven killed, including wanted militant Dulmatin.                                           

Dulmatin, an electronics expert who was one of the masterminds of the 2002 Bali bombings, was shot dead by police on the outskirts of Jakarta last month.                                            
 

Videos have emerged on the internet purporting to come from the group, calling itself the Aceh branch of al Qaeda for Southeast Asia (Tandzim Al Qoidah Indonesia Wilayah Serambi Makkah). 
 

The videos include scenes of military-style training and in them Muslims are urged to join the jihad, or holy struggle, and give funds.                                           

Sidney Jones, an expert on Islamic militants at the International Crisis Group, said at least two of those arrested on Sunday were important militant figures and one was believed to be close to the late Dulmatin.