Pakistan confirmed yesterday that the brother of alleged Jemaah Islamiyah terror group leader Hambali was among 15 Malaysian and Indonesian students detained here for suspected terrorist offences.

Senior Interior Ministry official Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema said the foreigners arrested from Islamic seminaries in Karachi included Hambali's brother 'Gun Gun' Rusman Gunawan.

"He is a brother of Hambali," Cheema told AFP . "His identity has been confirmed."

Foreign ministry spokesman Masood Khan, also confirming Hambali's brother's arrest, said all 15 would be deported after they are interrogated.

"We have a plan to deport them to Malaysia and Indonesia after proper investigation," Khan told AFP .

Operations chief

Hambali is the alleged operations chief of JI, the al-Qaeda linked Southeast Asian terror group blamed for a string of attacks including last October's Bali bombings which left 202 people dead.

Hambali is believed to hold senior positions in both organisations. He was arrested last month in Thailand and is being held at a secret location.

Pakistani authorities were also holding another Indonesian Mohammad Syaifuddin, along with 13 Malaysians captured during raids in Karachi on Saturday.

"They are under intense interrogation," said an intelligence official, on condition of anonymity.

"The investigation has not yet completed as we may find some of their accomplices and their possible links with any Pakistani militant group."

The Malaysian embassy in Islamabad said it was liasing with Pakistani investigators.

"So far these people are under investigation here and we are in touch with Pakistani authorities," spokesman Abd. Ghaffar said.

"As soon as their investigation is over and after immigration work they will return to their country. We are cooperating with Pakistani authorities."

Information from Hambali

Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi revealed on Monday that the arrests were based on information extracted from Hambali, and Kuala Lumpur had asked Pakistan to send the Malaysian students home.

Indonesian charge d'affaires Aang Witadjaya met with Pakistani foreign ministry officials in Islamabad yesterday to seek access to the detainees, Pakistani foreign office spokesman Masood Khan said.

"He has asked for counsular access and the request is being considered." said Khan.

Earlier Pakistani ambassador Syed Mustafa Anwer Husain was summoned by Indonesian foreign ministry officials in Jakarta.

Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said the ambassador was summoned to "seek further clarifications from the ambassador, especially regarding the second arrest, that of Mohammad Syaifuddin."

The Pakistani intelligence official conceded the JI network could be operating in Pakistan. Some of those arrested were also being questioned about their suspected terrorist links abroad, he added.

"We are also trying to find out whether they were involved in any terrorist activities in Pakistan or were planning any terrorist attacks," he said.

Regularly monitored

Foreign students studying in religious schools since the toppling of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan have been regularly monitored, and institutions have already been warned they face action if found to be involved in terrorist activities, the official said.

Some students said Gunawan had been studying at the Islamic Abu Bakar University here as Abdul Hadi for the past four years.

"I have not seen him since Sept 1, when he was called at a police station for some questioning," said one student, requesting anonymity.

The raid at Abu Bakar University followed the interrogation of Gunawan. - AFP