Uzbek militants escape from detention in Indonesia; 2 dead

By NINIEK KARMINI
Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Police say three suspected Uzbek militants escaped from an immigration detention center in Indonesia’s capital after fatally stabbing an officer and seriously injuring four others. A police official says two were later recaptured and the third drowned in a canal while being pursued by police. The three men were among four Uzbek nationals detained by a special police counterterrorism group in March after a tip from Uzbekistan’s state security service that they were believed to be members of an al-Qaida-linked militant group. Police say Monday’s escape was triggered by fears among the suspects that they would be deported to their home country after they were visited by consular officers from the Uzbekistan Embassy and would face harsh punishment there.