Major attack thwarted...22 bombs seized...10 arrested

Indonesian police thwarted a major attack targeting Westerners in Jakarta after arresting10 suspected militants and seizing at least 22 bombs, police and media reports said on Thursday.

All but one of the men were flown from the Sumatran city of Palembang to the capital, their faces covered by black masks as they disembarked from the police aircraft, before being taken to a police detention center in Jakarta.

If found guilty of violating anti-terrorism laws, they face a maximum penalty of death.

At least 22 bombs were seized during raids on Wednesday in Palembang, a coastal city on Sumatra about 310 miles (500 km) from the target, some packed with bullets to maximize the impact of the blast, Nataprawira said.

Many were ready to use, he said, adding that dozens of pounds (kilograms) of explosive powder, grenades and several types of electric detonators also were seized.