Washington: A dismissed Indonesian Air Force officer has confessed to assembling the deadly bomb that killed over 181 people in the island of Bali, media reported on October 16.

The man, now held by authorities, said he regretted the huge loss of life in the attack but had not revealed who had asked him to build the "C-4" military explosive, the 'Washington Post' reported, quoting Indonesian security sources.

The suspect had learned to handle explosives while serving in the Indonesian Air Force, which later dismissed him for misconduct.

The bomb that destroyed the Sari Club in the resort of Kuta was similar to the material used to destroy the Jakarta residence of Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia in August 2000, blamed on radical outfit Jamaah Islamiyah, headed by Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir.

The Indonesian government had learned a week before the attack that Islamic extremists were planning to carry out a bombing, officers told the daily.

Since then, security was heightened at more than 60 locations, but the popular resort island of Bali was not counted as a target.

A huge team of around 5400 police official from Indonesia, Australia, Britain, Germany, Japan and the United States are investigating the case.

Two men are being intensively interrogated, among the 50 already apprehended for questioning.

Indonesia and Western governments have blamed Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network and its local allies for the bombing.

So far nobody has claimed responsibility.

PTI