JI's Hambali 'associate' arrested

Hambali is in custody in the US

Indonesian police have arrested a man they describe as an associate of Hambali, an alleged senior leader of militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI).

Adrian Ali, alias Amin, was detained on a remote north-eastern island after police found equipment to make fake identity papers in his house.

JI is blamed for a string of attacks in the region, including the bombing of two Bali nightclubs in October 2002.

Hambali is being held in custody in an undisclosed location in the US.

Ali, from Indonesia's central Java island, was arrested on Tinakareng island off Sulawesi in June.

Indonesia's Tempo newspaper said two other men were detained with him.

Johnny Hotma Hutauruk, a chief detective police officer in north Sulawesi, said Ali had accompanied Hambali on trips to Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand, where Hambali was captured in August last year.

National detective chief Suyitno Landung described Ali as a "right hand" man of Hambali, whose real name is Riduan Isamuddin.