Suicide Bombers Suspected in Bali Bombings

The latest bombings on Bali are believed to be the work of three suicide bombers and bore the hallmarks of the Jemaah Islamiyah extremist network, Indonesia´s anti-terrorism chief said last week.

Powerful explosions ripped through three crowded restaurants on Bali late on Saturday, killing at least 25 people and injuring more than 100.

The attacks, which were centered on areas popular with overseas tourists, came almost three years after the October 12, 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians and several other foreigners.

“The modus operandi is very similar to the previous bombings, the use of backpacks, whose remnants were found at the scene of the blasts,” Ansyaad Mbai, the head of the anti-terrorism desk at the security ministry, said.

Mbai said he suspects that Malaysian fugitive terror suspects, Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohammad Top, were the masterminds behind the blasts.

British-trained engineer Azahari and his compatriot Noordin are among the most dangerous Jemaah Islamiyah militants at large and are believed to have played key roles in previous deadly attacks inside Indonesia.

The latest bombings on Bali threaten to ruin the island´s tourist industry, reports Meraiah Foley, just as it was recovering from terrorist attacks almost exactly three years ago, with at least one regional government on Sunday urging its citizens to stay away and tour operators predicting an immediate downturn in visitors.

Tourism on the mostly Hindu island took a dive in the aftermath of the 2002 attacks and was just beginning to make a comeback when Saturday´s bombings ripped another hole in the tourist infrastructure.

Indonesia´s Tourism Minister Jero Wacik predicted a sharp drop in tourist numbers, but said he hopes the island will bounce back.