Indonesian police shot dead a suspected Islamist militant believed to be linked to Abu Dujana, the purported current leader of the Jemaah Islamiah network, blamed for the 2002 Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people. One militant was also injured after the suspects opened fire during the night raid near the city of Yogyakarta. (Reuters [2], March 21)
Meanwhile, on Sulawesi island, three Muslim men have been found guilty of beheading three Christian schoolgirls in 2005. Hasanuddin, the alleged ringleader, received 20 years for the killings, while two accomplices were sentenced to 14 years. Prosecutors said Hasanuddin ordered the killings to avenge the deaths of Muslims during an outbreak of sectarian violence in Poso district. (AlJazeera [3], March 21)
