Indonesia arrests 11 suspected militants over US embassy plot

JAKARTA Oct 27 (Reuters) - Indonesia's anti-terrorist squad arrested 11 suspected Islamic militants it said planned to attack the U.S. embassy, a plaza near Australia's embassy and the offices of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, a police spokesman said on Saturday.

The Detachment 88 squad seized bomb-making equipment and one ready-made bomb to be used by a new militant group called Harakah Sunni for the Indonesian Society (HASMI), said National Police spokesman Suhardi Alius in a statement.

The arrests by the elite police squad on the island of Java were the latest step in a crackdown by authorities against militants during which dozens have been arrested and at least seven killed.

They come 10 years this month after a bomb attack on Bali killed 202 people, most of whom were foreign tourists.