Indonesia Jails Mastermind of Myanmar Embassy Bomb Plot

An Indonesian court Tuesday jailed the mastermind of an Islamic extremist plot to bomb the Myanmar embassy for seven-and-a-half years, but the militant pledged to "continue fighting the enemies of Islam".

Sigit Indrajid confessed at an earlier hearing to leading a group which planned to attack the mission in Jakarta to avenge the killing of minority Rohingya Muslims in mainly Buddhist Myanmar.

The plight of the Rohingya, many of whom have been killed or displaced in sectarian unrest in Myanmar, has caused widespread anger in Muslim-majority Indonesia.

The plan was foiled last May 2 when police caught two of the plotters riding a motorbike in the capital, one of whom was carrying a backpack full of pipe-bombs. They had planned to launch the attack the following day.

Presiding judge Hariono told South Jakarta District Court Tuesday that Indrajid, 23, had been "proven guilty, legally and convincingly, of committing an evil conspiracy by carrying out an act of terrorism".

He handed him a seven-and-a-half year sentence.

Indrajid showed no remorse during the hearing and smiled during a large part of it.

After he was sentenced, he told Agence France Presse: "I will continue fighting the enemies of Islam."

The plotters were part of a network called Negara Islam Indonesia (The Islamic State of Indonesia).

The court previously heard how Indrajid met some of his accomplices on Facebook, where he posted messages about the need to avenge the killing of the Rohingya.

Indrajid is the third person to be jailed over the embassy bomb plot.