Police chief says militant has confessed to Bali bombings

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Indonesia's national police chief said Friday that a ringleader in the Bali blasts that killed nearly 200 people has confessed and admitted involvement in other bombings in the past two years.

"He confessed to the bombings in Batam, Jakarta and Bali," said Gen. Da'i Bachtiar, referring to both the Bali nightclub blasts and a series of other bombings.

Imam Samudra, in his early to mid 30s, was arrested on Thursday at the port of Merak as he attempted to flee from Java island.

Bachtiar spoke to reporters after interrogating Samudra Friday at a police station near Merak.

Bachtiar said Samudra was a key planner in the Oct. 12 Bali blasts, adding that the militant "decided when and where" to place the bombs.

Earlier in the day, there was confusion over whether Samudra had confessed, with officials saying their comments about it had been misinterpreted. Later, several officials confirmed the confession had been made.

Samudra is said to be a leading member of Jemaah Islamiyah, an al-Qaida-linked group seeking to impose a Pan-Islamic state in Southeast Asia.

Samudra is the second suspect to be arrested in the case. His arrest could give authorities much-needed clues into the workings of Jemaah Islamiyah, which the United Nations recently placed on its list of terrorist organizations.