(AFP) Three of the 13 Muslim militants arrested for alleged links to terrorism are members of the hardline Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI) group, a leader told Jakarta Post yesterday.

The 13 militants, including bank officers, taxi drivers, businessmen and a school headmaster, were rounded up between Dec 9 and Jan 3 under the Internal Security Act (ISA) which allows detention without trial.

They are being investigated for links to Zacarias Moussaoui, a Frenchman on trial for his alleged role in Sept 11 attacks on the US.

The Malaysian authorities had identified the three as MMI chief and founding member Bakar Bashir and members Hambali and Mohamad Iqbal.

According to police chief Norian Mai, the three have permanent residency status in Malaysia.

Chairman of the MMI's Jakarta chapter Sayid Hamidan confirmed that three MMI members had been arrested but said he could not confirm their identities.

"I do not think Abu Bakar Bashir has been arrested because he just arrived from Mecca," Hamidan told the Jakarta Post .

Malaysian residents

Hambali and Iqbal, have been living in Malaysia for several years, he added.

The MMI was set up in August 2000 by various hardline Muslim groups to fight for the implementation of the Shariah law in Indonesia where Muslims account for over 80 percent of its some 216 million people.

Hamidan said the group believed it was the duty of every Muslim to assist movements to establish Islamic states, wherever they may be.

"We will be glad if our idea gets immediate support, but if people reject that idea, we will keep on struggling," Hamidan said.

Malaysian police said the 13 were a new wing of the Militant Group of Malaysia (KMM) and planned to declare a "jihad" or holy war to oust the government and form an Islamic state.

They said that they were still investigating the extent of KMM's connection to Moussaoui.

Bashir and Hambali were specifically named by the Malaysian authorities as "directing figures" of a new KKM wing possibly involved in the struggles of Islamic militant groups around the world, including in Southern Philippines, Afghanistan, Ambon, Chechnya and Kashmir.