Accused Bali bombing mastermind has been released from prison after serving almost 10 years for terrorism offences. Australia has expressed displeasure on the decision. Watch more.

Australians angered by release of 2002 Bali bomb maker Umar Patek

Terrorism remains the top global concern that dominated the agenda at international forums across the world. The same is expected to happen in Bali where the G20 Summit is underway. On October 12, 2002, the tourist hub of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali was the scene of the Bali bombings. The attack claimed 202 lives. 209 other persons suffered injuries. Ten years later, visitors honor the departed at the memorial

Bali Bombings: Name of 202 etched on memorial forever, attack on two nightclubs in Kuta

October 12th marked the 20th anniversary of the 2002 Bali Bombings. The terror attack killed over 202 people, most of them foreign nationals. 20 years on, this heinous crime remains etched in the memories of survivors. Priyanka Sharma reports.

Gravitas: 20 years after Bali Bombings: What has changed?

As hundreds gathered to mark the 20th anniversary of the horrendous 2002 Bali bombings in which more than 200 people lost their lives, a graphic video of the incident was played at the commemoration event.

The video has understandably upset the attendees, including survivors and relatives of the bombing victims.&nbsp;Talking to BBC, one victim's relative said he felt "sick" on watching the footage.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: 20 years after Bali Bombings: What has changed?

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"Nobody needs to see that. We lived through that. We were right here," said Jessica O’Grady, a survivor of the explosion who was present in the Sari Club. She added, "We’ve been to many anniversaries here and up until that point every single one of them had been beautiful and respectful and today had been a really, really nice day up until that point. I just cannot believe that they showed that."

According to the BBC report, the footage, a 10-minute-long "documentary-style" film was screened at the moment which marked the original bombing incident -- 11:05 PM local time.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-tears-and-flowers-grieving-australian-families-mark-20th-anniversary-of-balis-bombing-524630">In pics | Tears and flowers: Grieving Australian families mark 20th anniversary of Bali's bombing&nbsp;</a>

It was screened on two giant screens and&nbsp;had distressing footage of confused, wounded people in the aftermath of the fiery explosion fleeing from the bombing site.&nbsp;

Audio of people screaming, yelling in panic and calls to the emergency services, police and footage of the perpetrators, including one of a smiling Ali Amrozi bin Haji Nurhasyim who was executed by a firing squad in 2008 for his role in the attack, reports the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH).

202 people of 21 different nationalities died in the 12 October 2002 attack in the bombings on two popular Indonesian nightclubs. Among the deceased were 88 Australian citizens.

Expressing its deep "disappointment", Australia said that it would formally register a complaint with Indonesia over the "devastating" footage.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-marks-20th-anniversary-of-bali-bombings-albanese-says-ache-does-not-dim-524619" hreflang="en">Australia marks 20th anniversary of Bali bombings, Albanese says 'ache does not dim'</a>

An official for Australia's department of foreign affairs and trade was quoted by SMH as saying,&nbsp;"The Australian Government wasn’t involved in organising the evening event in Bali. We are deeply disappointed by the decisions made by the organisers. We will be formally registering our concerns with the Indonesian authorities."

He added that the government is ready to offer assistance to Australians who may need it following the distressing video.

(With inputs from agencies)

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As hundreds gathered to mark the 20th anniversary of the horrendous 2002 Bali bombings in which more than 200 people lost their lives, a graphic video of the incident was played at the commemoration event.

As hundreds gathered to mark the 20th anniversary of the horrendous 2002 Bali bombings in which more than 200 people lost their lives, a graphic video of the incident was played at the commemoration event. The video has understandably upset the attendees, including survivors and relatives of the bombing victims. Talking to BBC, one victim's relative said he felt "sick" on watching the footage. Watch | Gravitas: 20 years after Bali Bombings: What has changed? "Nobody needs to see that. We lived through that. We were right here," said Jessica O’Grady, a survivor of the explosion who was present in the Sari Club. She added, "We’ve been to many anniversaries here and up until that point every single one of them had been beautiful and respectful and today had been a really, really nice day up until that point. I just cannot believe that they showed that." According to the BBC report, the footage, a 10-minute-long "documentary-style" film was screened at the moment which marked the original bombing incident -- 11:05 PM local time. Also read | In pics | Tears and flowers: Grieving Australian families mark 20th anniversary of Bali's bombing It was screened on two giant screens and had distressing footage of confused, wounded people in the aftermath of the fiery explosion fleeing from the bombing site. Audio of people screaming, yelling in panic and calls to the emergency services, police and footage of the perpetrators, including one of a smiling Ali Amrozi bin Haji Nurhasyim who was executed by a firing squad in 2008 for his role in the attack, reports the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH). 202 people of 21 different nationalities died in the 12 October 2002 attack in the bombings on two popular Indonesian nightclubs. Among the deceased were 88 Australian citizens. Expressing its deep "disappointment", Australia said that it would formally register a complaint with Indonesia over the "devastating" footage. Also read | Australia marks 20th anniversary of Bali bombings, Albanese says 'ache does not dim' An official for Australia's department of foreign affairs and trade was quoted by SMH as saying, "The Australian Government wasn’t involved in organising the evening event in Bali. We are deeply disappointed by the decisions made by the organisers. We will be formally registering our concerns with the Indonesian authorities." He added that the government is ready to offer assistance to Australians who may need it following the distressing video. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Event commemorating 2002 Bali bombing victims overshadowed by distressing video after blasts

Australia on Wednesday marked the 20th anniversary of the Bali bombings, with the country's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying that two decades after the terrible attacks, the "ache does not dim".&nbsp;

The Bali bombings occurred on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. It is one of the world's deadliest militant attacks.&nbsp;

The attack had left 202 people dead, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesian citizens. More than 200 people were injured.&nbsp;

The attack on October 12, 2002, involved the detonation of three bombs, including a car bomb that exploded outside the Sari Club in Bali's Kuta Beach area. An almost simultaneous blast took place at the Paddy's Bar across the road.&nbsp;

To pay respect&nbsp;and remember the victims, commemorations were held in Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday.&nbsp;

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Twenty years ago, the shockwaves from Bali reached our shores. Today at Dolphins Point in Coogee we gathered to remember the 88 Australians who never came home. 
 
So many futures were stolen that night. <a href="https://t.co/1dnHxdCMQX">pic.twitter.com/1dnHxdCMQX</a>
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlboMP/status/1580015249100443648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Today we remember the 88 Australians who lost their lives in the Bali Bombings 20 years ago, and we grieve with the families and communities they left behind. This morning I will attend a service at the Bali Memorial statue at Coogee Beach. <a href="https://t.co/1gIWLoIzIS">pic.twitter.com/1gIWLoIzIS</a>
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlboMP/status/1579956636894265344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
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At the event, which took place in a Sydney suburb, Albanese said, "Twenty years ago, an act of malice and calculated depravity robbed the world of 202 lives, including 88 Australians. Twenty years on, the ache does not dim."&nbsp;

"That night, the terrorists could not achieve their aim. What they struck they could not defeat, because what they struck at was the idea of 'us'...they struck at humanity," he added.&nbsp;

Several members of the Southeast Asian Islamic militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) were convicted in relation to the bombings, including three individuals who were sentenced to death.&nbsp;

Reports have mentioned that the attacks aimed to scare away foreigners so that Indonesia could eventually become part of a larger Islamic caliphate.&nbsp;

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Australia on Wednesday marked the 20th anniversary of the Bali bombings, with the country's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying that two decades after the terrible attacks, the "ache does not dim".

Australia on Wednesday marked the 20th anniversary of the Bali bombings, with the country's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying that two decades after the terrible attacks, the "ache does not dim". The Bali bombings occurred on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. It is one of the world's deadliest militant attacks. The attack had left 202 people dead, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesian citizens. More than 200 people were injured. The attack on October 12, 2002, involved the detonation of three bombs, including a car bomb that exploded outside the Sari Club in Bali's Kuta Beach area. An almost simultaneous blast took place at the Paddy's Bar across the road. To pay respect and remember the victims, commemorations were held in Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday. Twenty years ago, the shockwaves from Bali reached our shores. Today at Dolphins Point in Coogee we gathered to remember the 88 Australians who never came home. So many futures were stolen that night. pic.twitter.com/1dnHxdCMQX — Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 12, 2022 × Today we remember the 88 Australians who lost their lives in the Bali Bombings 20 years ago, and we grieve with the families and communities they left behind. This morning I will attend a service at the Bali Memorial statue at Coogee Beach. pic.twitter.com/1gIWLoIzIS — Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 11, 2022 × At the event, which took place in a Sydney suburb, Albanese said, "Twenty years ago, an act of malice and calculated depravity robbed the world of 202 lives, including 88 Australians. Twenty years on, the ache does not dim." "That night, the terrorists could not achieve their aim. What they struck they could not defeat, because what they struck at was the idea of 'us'...they struck at humanity," he added. Several members of the Southeast Asian Islamic militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) were convicted in relation to the bombings, including three individuals who were sentenced to death. Reports have mentioned that the attacks aimed to scare away foreigners so that Indonesia could eventually become part of a larger Islamic caliphate. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Australia marks 20th anniversary of Bali bombings, Albanese says 'ache does not dim'

A radical cleric linked to the Bali nightclub bombings was freed from prison Friday.

The bombings in Bali, which came just a year after the 9/11 attacks on the United States, nearly two decades ago killed more than 200 people, mostly foreign tourists.

Abu Bakar Bashir is seen as the spiritual leader of Islamist terror network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which was responsible for the massive blasts that ripped through a pair of packed bars in October 2002.

Sentenced to 15 years in 2011, his term was later cut due to sentencing reductions handed to most prisoners in Indonesia.

According to AFP, a van with Bashir inside left Gunung Sindur prison near the capital Jakarta at around 5:30 am Friday (2230&nbsp;GMT Thursday), accompanied by members of Indonesia's elite counter-terror squad.

Bashir was expected to return to his hometown, Solo city.

He had been previously jailed over the Bali bombings, but that conviction was quashed on appeal.&nbsp;He has repeatedly denied involvement and his exact role remains unclear.

 
Al-Qaeda-linked JI -- founded by exiled Indonesian militants in neighbouring Malaysia in the 1980s -- was largely dismantled by security forces after the 2002 attacks, and a 2005 bombing on the holiday island.

There have been signs of the network's resurgence in recent years, although Bashir's influence has waned, said Jakarta-based security analyst Sidney Jones.

The Bali bombings back then prompted Jakarta to strengthen cooperation with the US and Australia on counter-terrorism.

Notably, Bashir's lawyers had appealed for his release citing his age and risk of contracting Covid-19 in the Southeast Asian nation's notoriously overcrowded prison system.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described Bashir's release as "gut-wrenching".

"I still remember that day, very vividly like I'm sure many Australians do," he said Friday, adding that Bashir had served his time for another crime.

"(But) that doesn't make it any easier for any Australian to accept, ultimately that those who are responsible for the murder of Australians would now be free." 
&nbsp;

A radical cleric linked to the Bali nightclub bombings was freed from prison Friday. The bombings in Bali, which came just a year after the 9/11 attacks on the United States, nearly two decades ago killed more than 200 people, mostly foreign tourists.

A radical cleric linked to the Bali nightclub bombings was freed from prison Friday. The bombings in Bali, which came just a year after the 9/11 attacks on the United States, nearly two decades ago killed more than 200 people, mostly foreign tourists. Abu Bakar Bashir is seen as the spiritual leader of Islamist terror network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which was responsible for the massive blasts that ripped through a pair of packed bars in October 2002. Sentenced to 15 years in 2011, his term was later cut due to sentencing reductions handed to most prisoners in Indonesia. According to AFP, a van with Bashir inside left Gunung Sindur prison near the capital Jakarta at around 5:30 am Friday (2230 GMT Thursday), accompanied by members of Indonesia's elite counter-terror squad. Bashir was expected to return to his hometown, Solo city. He had been previously jailed over the Bali bombings, but that conviction was quashed on appeal. He has repeatedly denied involvement and his exact role remains unclear. Al-Qaeda-linked JI -- founded by exiled Indonesian militants in neighbouring Malaysia in the 1980s -- was largely dismantled by security forces after the 2002 attacks, and a 2005 bombing on the holiday island. There have been signs of the network's resurgence in recent years, although Bashir's influence has waned, said Jakarta-based security analyst Sidney Jones. The Bali bombings back then prompted Jakarta to strengthen cooperation with the US and Australia on counter-terrorism. Notably, Bashir's lawyers had appealed for his release citing his age and risk of contracting Covid-19 in the Southeast Asian nation's notoriously overcrowded prison system. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described Bashir's release as "gut-wrenching". "I still remember that day, very vividly like I'm sure many Australians do," he said Friday, adding that Bashir had served his time for another crime. "(But) that doesn't make it any easier for any Australian to accept, ultimately that those who are responsible for the murder of Australians would now be free."

Radical cleric linked to Bali bombings released from jail

Abu Bakar Bashir, 82, is considered the spiritual leader of militant group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the Islamist network responsible for the 2002 Bali terrorist attack.

Indonesia frees suspected mastermind Abu Bakar Bashir

Indonesia has arrested one of the seniormost members of the Al Qaeda-linked militant group Jemaah Islamiah. He is said to be behind the 2002 bombings on the resort island of Bali that killed over 200 people.

National Police spokesperson Argo Yuwono said Zulkarnaen&nbsp;was arrested in Lampung on Sumatra island on Thursday after spending nearly 18 years at large.

Zulkarnaen "is now being interrogated" and anti-terror investigators were searching his residence. He has been on Indonesia's most-wanted list since the bombings.

His cell is also believed to have helped carry out the suicide bombing at Jakarta’s Marriott Hotel in 2003 that killed 12 people. He was the only Indonesian listed on Washington's "Rewards for Justice" program, with a bounty of up to five million dollars.

The former Afghan war veteran established a special unit within JI tasked with planning deadly attacks.

The unit was also mandated to incite ethnic and religious violence in Sulawesi and Molucca islands, where thousands died between 1998 and 2002.

JI was founded by a handful of Indonesian militants exiled in Malaysia in the 1980s and grew to include cells across Southeast Asia.

Jemaah Islamiah's stated aim is to build an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia.

According to a UN Security Council report, he also goes by the name Aris Sumarsono.

Stanislaus Riyanta, a security analyst, said that Zulkarnaen's arrest could either weaken Jemaah Islamiah's operations or "spur them into action to prove their existence or seek revenge".

(with inputs from&nbsp;agencies)

Indonesia has arrested one of the seniormost members of the Al Qaeda-linked militant group Jemaah Islamiah. He is said to be behind the 2002 bombings on the resort island of Bali that killed over 200 people.

Indonesia has arrested one of the seniormost members of the Al Qaeda-linked militant group Jemaah Islamiah. He is said to be behind the 2002 bombings on the resort island of Bali that killed over 200 people. National Police spokesperson Argo Yuwono said Zulkarnaen was arrested in Lampung on Sumatra island on Thursday after spending nearly 18 years at large. Zulkarnaen "is now being interrogated" and anti-terror investigators were searching his residence. He has been on Indonesia's most-wanted list since the bombings. His cell is also believed to have helped carry out the suicide bombing at Jakarta’s Marriott Hotel in 2003 that killed 12 people. He was the only Indonesian listed on Washington's "Rewards for Justice" program, with a bounty of up to five million dollars. The former Afghan war veteran established a special unit within JI tasked with planning deadly attacks. The unit was also mandated to incite ethnic and religious violence in Sulawesi and Molucca islands, where thousands died between 1998 and 2002. JI was founded by a handful of Indonesian militants exiled in Malaysia in the 1980s and grew to include cells across Southeast Asia. Jemaah Islamiah's stated aim is to build an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia. According to a UN Security Council report, he also goes by the name Aris Sumarsono. Stanislaus Riyanta, a security analyst, said that Zulkarnaen's arrest could either weaken Jemaah Islamiah's operations or "spur them into action to prove their existence or seek revenge". (with inputs from agencies)

Indonesia arrests senior JI leader linked to Bali bombings

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