Bashir, 82, who was among Indonesia's most notorious extremists, is considered the spiritual leader of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah (JI) network. Jemaah Islamiah is accused of plotting several big attacks in Indonesia and includes operatives trained in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the southern Philippines. A senior JI operative believed to have made bombs for both attacks, Zulkarnaen, was among 23 suspected militants arrested last month. Bashir denied any involvement in the Bali bombings. A lawyer for Bashir did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on his upcoming release.

Source: bd News24 January 04, 2021 12:33 UTC