TV names hotel blast suspect

JAKARTA: An Indonesian television station yesterday named a likely suspect in the suicide bombings of two luxury hotels in Jakarta, saying he had school links to members of the radical Islamic group Jemaah Islamiah.

Police are still investigating Friday's attacks on the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta's main business district which killed nine people and injured 53, including foreigners and Indonesians. Jemaah Islamiah is a prime suspect. The bombers checked into the Marriott as paying guests on Wednesday and assembled the bombs in their room, 1808 on the 18th floor, according to police. A third bomb was found and defused in a laptop computer bag in room 1808.

A police source said yesterday that one theory the police are working on is that the bombers planned to detonate the bomb on the 18th floor first, sending panicking guests rushing down to the lobby where one of the suicide bombers would detonate a second bomb, potentially killing and injuring many more guests.