Indonesian counter-terrorism police said on Sunday they had arrested suspects in locations across the island of Java, foiling separate plots to bomb minority Shia communities and target Christmas and New Year celebrations, Euro News reported.

The six suspects were either members or supporters of the Daesh militant group.

Chemicals and weapons were found buried under a tree at one raid site in the city of Solo.

National Police Chief General Badrodin Haiti said that the raids to round up the men, which began on Friday, were prompted by intelligence from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Australian Federal Police.

Indonesia saw a spate of militant attacks in the 2000s, the deadliest of which was a nightclub bombing on the holiday island of Bali that killed 202 people, most of them tourists.

Source: MENA