Makassar (Indonesia), Oct 22: A loud explosion alarmed shoppers in the main city of Indonesia's Sulawesi Island, but caused no damage, police said. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the blast, which occurred in a covered ditch in front of a gold shop in Makassar. The explosion occurred during a visit by Us President George W Bush to Bali, an island about 600 kilometres southwest of Makassar. There was no indication that the two were linked in any way police said.
Last year, a bomb killed three people in a McDonald's restaurant in Makassar. Authorities have blamed militants belonging to a radical group, Laskar Jundullah. Sixteen suspects were arrested, and seven of them have been sentenced to long prison terms. Bureau Report