Jakarta says 'JI students' suspects

The suspects were detained during raids on Karachi religious schools

Indonesia has extended the detention of four men deported from Pakistan, saying they are suspected to have links to terrorists and bombings.

One of the four is the brother of Hambali, the suspected operations chief of militant Muslim group Jemaah Islamiah (JI), who is in US custody.

They have been held since 12 December and were due for release on Friday, unless officially declared suspects.

JI is accused of several attacks in the region, including the Bali bombings.

The Indonesian police spokesman, Soenarko, said that the four were now officially suspected of "giving help to and aiding terrorists", a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail.

But no specific mention was made of which group the men, who were students in Pakistan, are accused of helping.

Six men were originally detained after being deported, but two have already been freed.

The six Indonesians were arrested in an operation by the Pakistani authorities in September involving raids on Islamic seminaries in Karachi.

Several Malaysian suspects were also captured and deported.

And Singapore is holding two men it says are part of the same cell.

Singapore alleged that the Pakistan cell was set up by Riduan Isamuddin, better known as Hambali.

Hambali's brother, Rusman Gunawan, has been accused of running JI operations in Pakistan.