Terrorist training camp found in Indonesia

Instructors at the camp in Maluku province the scene of bloody fighting between Muslim and Christians from 1999 to 2002 were graduates of terrorist academies in Afghanistan and the Philippines, said police Lt. Col. Leonidas Braksan.

The isolated camp deep in the jungle had been running for several years and was attended by militants from all over Indonesia, he said, showing how terrorists have been able to maintain training networks despite a nationwide crackdown.

Police raided the camp on Seram Island earlier this month after receiving a tip from recently arrested militants, Braksan said. Officers found several huts there, as well as white flags used as markers for military exercises. Villagers living nearby heard gunfire and occasional explosions from the direction of the camp, he said.

"They were teaching the tactics of war, including using weapons and making bombs," Braksan said, citing testimony from captured graduates of the camp. "The place was very isolated and difficult to get to."