Indonesia arrests militant allegedly involved in market bombing, murder of Christian priest

Indonesian police arrest suspected terrorist

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Counter-terrorist forces have arrested a suspected Islamist militant in central Indonesia.

Police spokesman Edward Aritonang said Friday the 32-year-old suspect was detained Wednesday in East Java province.

Eko Budi Wardoyo was allegedly involved in the 2005 bombing of a market that killed 22 people and the murder of a Christian priest in 2004.

The crimes were committed by a militant network in Poso, Central Sulawesi province, where clashes between Christians and Muslims killed at least 1,000 people between 1998 and 2002.

The bulk of Indonesia’s estimated 200 million Muslims practice a moderate form of the faith and shun violence in the name of religion.

Hundreds of militant suspects have been prosecuted by Indonesian authorities in recent years.