Bali bomb accused said attacks would go on

Few Indonesians believe it is coincidence that the country has fallen victim to a major terrorist attack in the same week as the first verdict is due in the trials of the alleged perpetrators of the previous attack - last October's Bali bombing.

The defendant due to be sentenced tomorrow, Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, and his co-conspirators are considered senior members of Jemaah Islamiyah, the Islamist terrorist movement that wants to turn much of the region into a single Islamic state and is reportedly getting financial help from al-Qaida.

During their trials, the defendants, who include two of Amrozi's brothers, have repeatedly said they were seeking to strike at western interests and inflict as many casualties as possible in Bali, and were certain their colleagues at large would continue the campaign.

Authorities from Indonesia and its neighbours have been warning that the movement is still active despite the detention of more than 100 alleged members in the past two years, and preparing to mount another major operation.

Officials believe dozens of operatives have attended terrorist training camps in remote parts of Indonesia, particularly on Sulawesi island, and in the southern Philippines.

One of the organisation's most notorious bombers, an Indonesian national, Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi, walked out of one of the Philippines' most secure prisons three weeks ago. His whereabouts are uncertain and it is not known whether he was involved in yesterday's attack.

Indonesian police have also recently seized several caches of weapons and explosives, believed to belong to Jemaah Islamiyah.

The movement's alleged spiritual leader and co-founder, Abu Bakar Ba'aysir, is on trial for treason.

He gave evidence in his own defence for the first time yesterday and denied Jemaah Islamiyah even exists. He said he heard about it for the first time on television.