Indonesian soldiers are hunting for five cars believed to be carrying bombs made by al Qaeda-linked militants, a newspaper said on Monday. Koran Tempo daily reported that the military believes the bombs were made by recruits of Malaysian terrorism fugitive Noordin M. Top, who is accused of being one of the masterminds behind recent bombings in Indonesia.
The newspaper said its source was a military telegram from the West Java city of Indramayu that carried details of the five cars believed to be in that area. The chief of the district military command, Lieutenant-Colonel Bambang Heriyadi, has confirmed the memo, Koran Tempo reported.
"All military personnel have been ordered to be more watchful and vigilant in monitoring strangers. This is an early prevention step against bombing threats," the paper quoted Heriyadi saying.
He said all five cars had Jakarta-issued licence plates.
Colonel Ahmad Yani Basuki, a spokesman at the Indonesian military headquarters in Jakarta, said the issue was a local one and he could not comment.
Military officials in Indramayu, located on the northern coast of Java island, 175 km (100 miles) east of Jakarta, could not be reached for comment on the newspaper report.
National police deputy spokesman Soenarko Artanto said he had no knowledge of the hunt for the cars.