Latest news with #alQaeda-linked
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Indonesian jailed for Bali bombing starts coffee business
SURABAYA: An Indonesian convicted in the deadly 2002 Bali nightclub bombings has launched his own coffee business after being released on parole, and has said he will use some of the earnings to help survivors of the attacks. Umar Patek, a member of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group, was jailed for 20 years in 2012 after he was found guilty of making bombs that ripped through two Bali nightclubs, killing 202 people, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians. He was released on parole in 2022 and has apologised to the victims. Patek's release sparked anger in Australia and Indonesia. At the launch of the coffee business on Tuesday, a banner with Patek's face festooned a cafe in the Indonesian city of Surabaya on Java island. It is owned by dentist David Andreasmito and will use the beans Patek supplies and roasts. "I was still shell-shocked by the outside world," Patek said, adding he had trouble finding work after his release and was worried his image would affect the business. "The stigma of a former terrorism convict made it hard for me to find work," he said. Patek said he understood that many people were still angry with him but pleaded to them "not to let that doubt stick", adding he would give portions of his earnings to survivors. David said he went into business with Patek because he had apologised and wanted people to give him a second chance. Since Patek's release, Indonesian authorities have highlighted him as an example of the deradicalisation efforts launched by the world's most populous Muslim-majority country to counter a resurgence in Islamic militancy. Chusnul Chotimah, a survivor of the Bali attacks who is covered in burn scars and says she struggles to pay for life-saving treatments, jostled in front of the crowd to speak to Patek at the launch. "I used to have grudges against you," she said. "I forgive you for what you did. I know you've changed for the better." Chusnul later said she hoped Patek could help out the survivors. "Don't just say sorry," she said.
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Indonesian jailed for Bali bombing starts coffee business
Umar Patek, a 58-year-old former militant who helped assemble the one-tonne bomb that killed 202 people in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombing, carries a cup of coffee at a cafe in Surabaya, East Java province, Indonesia, June 3, 2025. REUTERS/Prasto Wardoyo SURABAYA, Indonesia (Reuters) -An Indonesian convicted in the deadly 2002 Bali nightclub bombings has launched his own coffee business after being released on parole, and has said he will use some of the earnings to help survivors of the attacks. Umar Patek, a member of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group, was jailed for 20 years in 2012 after he was found guilty of making bombs that ripped through two Bali nightclubs, killing 202 people, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians. He was released on parole in 2022 and has apologised to the victims. Patek's release sparked anger in Australia and Indonesia. At the launch of the coffee business on Tuesday, a banner with Patek's face festooned a cafe in the Indonesian city of Surabaya on Java island. It is owned by dentist David Andreasmito and will use the beans Patek supplies and roasts. "I was still shell-shocked by the outside world," Patek said, adding he had trouble finding work after his release and was worried his image would affect the business. "The stigma of a former terrorism convict made it hard for me to find work," he said. Patek said he understood that many people were still angry with him but pleaded to them "not to let that doubt stick", adding he would give portions of his earnings to survivors. David said he went into business with Patek because he had apologised and wanted people to give him a second chance. Since Patek's release, Indonesian authorities have highlighted him as an example of the deradicalisation efforts launched by the world's most populous Muslim-majority country to counter a resurgence in Islamic militancy. Chusnul Chotimah, a survivor of the Bali attacks who is covered in burn scars and says she struggles to pay for life-saving treatments, jostled in front of the crowd to speak to Patek at the launch. "I used to have grudges against you," she said. 'I forgive you for what you did. I know you've changed for the better." Chusnul later said she hoped Patek could help out the survivors. "Don't just say sorry," she said. Tumini, another survivor, said in Bali's capital Denpasar that she is still struggling to pay for her treatment and that government aid should be prioritised for victims still in recovery. (Additional reporting by Sultan Anshori in Denpasar; Writing by Stanley Widianto)
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Indonesian jailed for Bali bombing starts coffee business
Umar Patek, a 58-year-old former militant who helped assemble the one-tonne bomb that killed 202 people in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombing, carries a cup of coffee at a cafe in Surabaya, East Java province, Indonesia, June 3, 2025. REUTERS/Prasto Wardoyo SURABAYA, Indonesia - An Indonesian convicted in the deadly 2002 Bali nightclub bombings has launched his own coffee business after being released on parole, and has said he will use some of the earnings to help survivors of the attacks. Umar Patek, a member of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group, was jailed for 20 years in 2012 after he was found guilty of making bombs that ripped through two Bali nightclubs, killing 202 people, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians. He was released on parole in 2022 and has apologised to the victims. Patek's release sparked anger in Australia and Indonesia. At the launch of the coffee business on Tuesday, a banner with Patek's face festooned a cafe in the Indonesian city of Surabaya on Java island. It is owned by dentist David Andreasmito and will use the beans Patek supplies and roasts. "I was still shell-shocked by the outside world," Patek said, adding he had trouble finding work after his release and was worried his image would affect the business. "The stigma of a former terrorism convict made it hard for me to find work," he said. Patek said he understood that many people were still angry with him but pleaded to them "not to let that doubt stick", adding he would give portions of his earnings to survivors. David said he went into business with Patek because he had apologised and wanted people to give him a second chance. Since Patek's release, Indonesian authorities have highlighted him as an example of the deradicalisation efforts launched by the world's most populous Muslim-majority country to counter a resurgence in Islamic militancy. Chusnul Chotimah, a survivor of the Bali attacks who is covered in burn scars and says she struggles to pay for life-saving treatments, jostled in front of the crowd to speak to Patek at the launch. "I used to have grudges against you," she said. 'I forgive you for what you did. I know you've changed for the better." Chusnul later said she hoped Patek could help out the survivors. "Don't just say sorry," she said. Tumini, another survivor, said in Bali's capital Denpasar that she is still struggling to pay for her treatment and that government aid should be prioritised for victims still in recovery. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
Extremists kill dozens of soldiers at a Mali military base, sources say
The attack on Sunday on the base in Boulkessi, near the border with Burkina Faso, killed at least 60 soldiers and wounded 40 more, a civil society activist in the area told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to reporters. The al Qaeda-linked JNIM group claimed responsibility. A military source told the AP there were around 280 soldiers in the base, and 'all of those who didn't die were taken prisoner by the terrorists'. Mali's army acknowledged the attack in a statement on Monday, adding that soldiers had fought 'to their last breath'. It did not provide an exact death toll. Mali, along with neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, has battled an insurgency by armed groups, including some allied with al Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, they have expelled French forces and turned to Russia's mercenary units for security assistance. In a separate attack on Monday, JNIM claimed responsibility for co-ordinated attacks on a military airport, a military base and army checkpoints in the northern town of Timbuktu. Mali's army said on social media it repelled the attack and that 13 extremists had been killed. It did not say whether any soldiers were killed. A hospital employee in the town said one soldier died of his wounds and 10 other people were wounded. Timbuktu residents said they heard heavy gunfire and saw armed men enter the town on motorcycles. They spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals. Rida Lyammouri, a Sahel expert at the Morocco-based Policy Centre for the New South, said the high level of co-ordination in the two attacks shows that JNIM had been planning them for a while. Attacks by extremists have been on the rise in Mali and neighbouring Burkina Faso in recent weeks. JNIM has established a strong presence in both.
North Wales Chronicle
4 days ago
- General
- North Wales Chronicle
Extremists kill dozens of soldiers at a Mali military base, sources say
The attack on Sunday on the base in Boulkessi, near the border with Burkina Faso, killed at least 60 soldiers and wounded 40 more, a civil society activist in the area told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to reporters. The al Qaeda-linked JNIM group claimed responsibility. A military source told the AP there were around 280 soldiers in the base, and 'all of those who didn't die were taken prisoner by the terrorists'. Mali's army acknowledged the attack in a statement on Monday, adding that soldiers had fought 'to their last breath'. It did not provide an exact death toll. Mali, along with neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, has battled an insurgency by armed groups, including some allied with al Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, they have expelled French forces and turned to Russia's mercenary units for security assistance. In a separate attack on Monday, JNIM claimed responsibility for co-ordinated attacks on a military airport, a military base and army checkpoints in the northern town of Timbuktu. Mali's army said on social media it repelled the attack and that 13 extremists had been killed. It did not say whether any soldiers were killed. A hospital employee in the town said one soldier died of his wounds and 10 other people were wounded. Timbuktu residents said they heard heavy gunfire and saw armed men enter the town on motorcycles. They spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals. Rida Lyammouri, a Sahel expert at the Morocco-based Policy Centre for the New South, said the high level of co-ordination in the two attacks shows that JNIM had been planning them for a while. Attacks by extremists have been on the rise in Mali and neighbouring Burkina Faso in recent weeks. JNIM has established a strong presence in both.
