Paroled Indonesia bombmaker apologises for 2002 Bali attack

Indonesian militant Umar Patek (Trisnadi/AP)

An Indonesian militant who was paroled last week after serving about half of his original 20-year prison sentence for making the explosives used in the 2002 Bali bombings, on Tuesday apologised to victims’ families.

Hisyam bin Alizein, better known by his nom de guerre Umar Patek, was a leading member of the al Qaida-linked network Jemaah Islamiyah, which was blamed for the blasts at two nightclubs in Kuta Beach that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists, including 88 Australians.