Police release sketches of 'bombers'

INDONESIAN police yesterday released sketches of three suspects believed to have planted the bombs that destroyed two nightclubs in Bali and killed nearly 200 people.

Police spokesman Colonel Prasetyo said the men were Indonesians aged 20 to 30. He said detectives had identified one of the three suspects, but refused to release his name.

"We interviewed foreign and Indonesian witnesses who saw these three people at the scene," Prasetyo said. "We have strong indications that the three were involved in bombings." Police described the three as "field operators" and said there could be as many as 10 other suspects in the case. Major General Made Mangku Pastika, who heads the investigation, said it was possible the three men had died in the blast, citing the large number of unidentified victims.

The release of the sketches was the first indication that the investigation into the terrorist attack the deadliest since September 11, 2001 was progressing. Until now, investigators had said they had no suspects.

The sketches will be published in Indonesia and posted worldwide by Interpol. Police released details of the men's height, weight, facial features and hair length. They also offered some unique features such as "sleepy eyes," a "pot belly" and "pouty lips."

But they did not provide further details such as hometowns or occupations. Pastika said investigators believe one of the three had built the bombs.Meanwhile, police doctors said they will conduct more medical tests on Abu Bakar Bashir, an ailing Muslim cleric who is suspected of being the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, a regional terrorist network that has been blamed for the Bali attack.

Doctors said Bashir, currently being treated at a police hospital in Jakarta, will be ready for questioning by the end of the week.

Jemaah Islamiyah was last week added to a UN list of groups linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network.