(Reuters) - Scores of Indonesian men rallied on Friday to publicly vow their readiness to sacrifice their lives to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden, in a sign of the al Qaeda leader's popularity among hard-core Islamists in the most populous Muslim country.
The group, calling itself Al Kaida Solo, said it would focus attacks on the United States -- but there was no indication that it had the capacity to do so, or whether it was just bluster.
Several police kept watch on the rally in the city of Solo in central Java, but no one was detained.
"One hundred youths from Solo are ready to die to take revenge on the death of Osama," declared Choirul, a cleric in Al Kaida Solo and also a member of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) which has a history of violence including attacks on bars, nightclubs and the offices of Indonesia's Playboy magazine.
"His fight will not be ending," Choirul told the assembled group of around 60 men dressed in white Muslim robes with their faces covered to hide their identity.
Several other Indonesian Islamists have hailed bin Laden as a martyr this week, showing the continued militancy of some Southeast Asian groups, one of which predicted a major reprisal attack.
Security experts said the risk of attacks had risen.
MORE:
No comments:
Post a Comment