Received from Joyo Indonesian News

The Jakarta Post [online] March 18, 2003

Six pro-Jakarta militiamen arrested

JAKARTA (Agencies): Military authorities in West Timor have arrested six pro-Jakarta militiamen for their alleged involvement in last month's ambush of a passenger bus in East Timor and other acts of violence, agencies reported.

West Nusa Tenggara military command chief Maj. Gen. Agus Soeyitno said the six were arrested last Thursday and Saturday in Belu district, an Indonesian town bordering East Timor.

"They are under intensive interrogation to determine their roles in East Timor violence. We are ready to hand them over to the East Timor authorities on condition that East Timor's government sends us an official request according to the existing procedures," Agus was quoted as saying by Antara.

He said authorities confiscated one grenade from the suspects, who had confessed to dumping their rifles in the jungle.

According to recent reports from East Timor, a group of nine gunmen ambushed a passenger bus in Atabae sub-district on Feb. 24, but the attack was foiled by members of the U.N. Peace Keeping Force (UNPKF).

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