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The Federal Government has welcomed the arrest of two key Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leaders in Indonesia.

Indonesian police have confirmed the capture of eight JI operatives, including the military commander Abu Dujana and JI’s operations leader Zarkasih.

Dujana has told police that Abu Bakar Bashir was the head of JI during the Bali bombings.

But Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says Bashir’s role in the attacks is still unclear.

“Abu Bakar Bashir was more kind of a spiritual leader,” he said.

“In relation to the Bali bombings role, there has been a trial over this … but there has been substantial debate over the extent to which he authorised the Bali bombing or didn’t.

“But he didn’t plan it by all accounts.”

Mr Downer says while the arrests create a major setback for JI, the threat of attacks still exists.

“Jemaah Islamiah has been very substantially disrupted, it hasn’t been destroyed and these arrests demonstrate that,” he said.

“For those who thought that Jemaah Islamiah ceased to exist anymore, these arrests demonstrate that there are people out there.”

Source: ABC News