December 3, 2003	Wednesday	Shawwal 8, 1424

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JAKARTA, Dec 2: Indonesia is sending an official team to Pakistan to bring back six Indonesians arrested there three months ago, including the brother of a man described as al Qaeda’s top Southeast Asian operative, officials said on Tuesday.

Indonesian policemen and diplomats will fly to Karachi this week to bring back the six, who the Pakistan government has accused of links to Islamic terror groups.

“We will send a team to Pakistan hopefully before the end of this week to bring the six nationals home,” Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told reporters. “Due to the terrorism allegations pinned on them, we have an interest to check them as soon as they arrive.”

The six include Gun Gun Rusman Gunawan, brother of suspected top al Qaeda operative Riduan Isamuddin alias Hambali. They were arrested in a series of raids in September on Islamic seminaries in Karachi.

Thirteen Malaysian students also captured at the time were sent back home last month and detained by Malaysian police on arrival.—Reuters