The 2002 Bali bombings occurred on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. The attack was the deadliest act of terrorism in the history of Indonesia, killing 202 people, (including 88 Australians, and 38 Indonesian citizens).[ A further 240 people were injured.
The attack involved the detonation of three bombs: a backpack-mounted device carried by a suicide bomber; a large car bomb, both of which were detonated in or near popular nightclubs in Kuta; and a third much smaller device detonated outside the United States consulate in Denpasar, causing only minor damage.
Various members of Jemaah Islamiyah, a violent Islamist group, were convicted in relation to the bombings, including three individuals who were sentenced to death. Abu Bakar Bashir, the alleged spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, was found guilty and sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment. However Bashir only served 18 months of his 2½ year imprisonment, because of his indirect involvement with the incident. Bashir is now serving 15 years convicted for helping to organise and fund the Jihadi training camp. When the would-be bombers approached him and vaguely stated their wish to conduct jihad in Bali, he reportedly gave his assent without asking for details of what was planned. This enabled him to later state that he did not know his followers planned a massive bomb attack, nor did he endorse it, although he upheld their right to carry out jihad as they saw fit. Bashir's lack of direct knowledge of bombing operations was one reason why he twice escaped with short jail terms after being tried for terrorism-related offences.[2] Riduan Isamuddin, generally known as Hambali and the suspected former operational leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, is in U.S. custody in an undisclosed location, and has not been charged in relation to the bombing or any other crime.
On 9 November 2008, Imam Samudra, Amrozi Nurhasyim and Huda bin Abdul Haq were executed by firing squad on the island prison of Nusakambangan at 00:15 Local time .
On 9 March 2010, Dulmatin, nicknamed "the Genius" - believed to be responsible for setting off one of the Bali bombs with a mobile phone — was killed in a shoot-out with Indonesian police in Jakarta
The attack was the worst terrorist incident in the history of Indonesia, with 202 civilians dead and more than 100 wounded.
While the attack was attributed to Jemaah Islamiyah, an Indonesian terrorist group with aims of creating an Islamic state composed of parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Southern Philipennes; according to U.S. and Asian intelligence authorities the attack had been connected to al-Qaeda. The nightclub bombings were the seventh major bombing in the area within 3 weeks, including an explosion in the southern Philippines that killed one U.S. Marine.
The mastermind, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, behind the attacks was al-Qaeda's chief representative and senior planner in Southeast Asia, as well as being operational chief of Jemaah Islamiya, Ryuduan bin Isomuddin, also known as Hambali. Hambali was detained by the U.S. government in August of 2003. Hambali was also believed to have been involved in the 2003 Marriot Hotel bombings in Jakarta, facilitated the January 2000 meeting in Malaysia including two September 11th highjackers, as well as being a close associate of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shekih Mohammed.
Jakarta’s response to the 12 October terrorist attacks in Bali represented a major and multifaceted counterterrorism effort. Jakarta undertook a number of significant actions, including the quick adoption of antiterrorism decrees (PERPU), the introduction into the legislature of a counterterrorism bill, and an aggressive investigation into the Bali attacks in particular. Jakarta, with international assistance, has taken action against Jemaah Islamiya (JI), an organization now designated by the United States pursuant to Executive Order 13224 and included on the UNSCR 1267 Sanctions Committee’s consolidated list of organizations and individuals, whose assets UN member states are required to freeze. Indonesia’s weak rule of law and poorly regulated financial system have produced roadblocks in uncovering terrorist assets, notwithstanding its willingness to freeze terrorist assets, consistent with the requirements of UNSCR 1373, as well as UNSCRs 1267, 1390, and 1455.
The 12 October Bali terrorist bombings, which killed some 200 persons and maimed hundreds more, has been clearly attributed to the al-Qaeda linked terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiya. The attack in Bali’s crowded Kuta tourist district was initiated with a possible suicide bombing inside a tourist bar that funneled panicking victims into the street, exposing the crowd to the full blast of a large car bomb parked next to the neighboring Sari club.
