Malaysian police hold four in Bali probe

POLICE in Malaysia have arrested four suspected members of a south-east Asian Islamic militant group linked to al-Qaida and is the main suspect in the weekend bombing of a bar in Bali.

Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai said yesterday OKthe four men were Malaysian members of the Jemaah Islamiyah group, which allegedly plotted to bomb the US Embassy and other Western targets in Singapore.

The four detainees are not believed to have had any involvement in last Saturday's bombings in Bali, which killed at least 183 people, said Mr Norian. However, he said the four had been in contact with militants in neighbouring countries.

Mr Norian said the arrests the latest in a string of detentions over the past year meant that just a few more suspected members of Jemaah Islamiyah remained free in Malaysia.

A federal police spokesmansaid that police were extremely close to capturing one more suspect who was expected to be detained anytime now.