Islamic militants aborted a planned bombing attack on a cafe at the last minute in western Indonesia after realizing many of the victims would have been Muslims, police said.
Ten men were arrested on Sumatra Island and 22 explosive devices were seized, many packed with bullets to maximize the impact of the planned blasts, said police spokesman Maj. Gen. Abubakar Nataprawira on Thursday.
Some of the men rounded up said they initially planned to attack Westerners at Kafe Bedudel, in the hilly Sumatran resort town of Bukittinggi, even placing three timed explosives inside, a senior
police officer who took part in the arrests told The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
But they decided too many Muslims would be killed and instead planned to choose a target in the capital, Jakarta, said the police officer, who refused to elaborate. (***)
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