Radical Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir walked out of a Jakarta jail on Wednesday after serving time for links to the 2002 Bali bombings, calling on jubilant supporters to join forces for the spread of Islamic law.

Wearing his trademark white skullcap and red-and-white checked shawl as he emerged from prison, a smiling Bashir said: "Let us strengthen Islamic brotherhood. We strengthen our unity for one aim -- that is Islamic sharia (law)."

Indonesia and other nations that "have been in darkness" could be saved by adherence to Islamist precepts, he said. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Bashir was surrounded by supporters shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) before entering a black van for a long drive to his Islamic school, once dubbed the "Ivy League" of militants.

In Australia, Prime Minister John Howard told parliament: "I want (Indonesia's politicians) to understand from me, on behalf of the government, how extremely disappointed, even distressed, millions of Australians will be at the release."

Brian Deegan, whose son Josh was one of 88 Australians killed in the Bali attack, told Sky television: "Abu Bashir really is to us what Osama bin Laden was to the Americans."

In Jakarta, U.S. embassy spokesman Max Kwak said: "we were deeply disappointed that a person convicted of a 'sinister conspiracy' was given such a short prison sentence."

The 67-year-old cleric, who has called al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden a true Islamic warrior, has denied any wrongdoing, and says Jemaah Islamiah does not exist.

After his release, Bashir began a 12-hour overland ride to the Al-Mukmin Islamic school he co-founded near the city of Solo, around 480 km (300 miles) from Jakarta.

Several school graduates are in prison for involvement in terrorism. The Brussels-based International Crisis Group has branded the school the "Ivy League" of militants.

The mood around the school was mixed late on Wednesday between preparing to welcome home a revered teacher and mourning over an employee and two Bashir stalwarts who died in a traffic accident on their way to join the crowd at the Jakarta jail.

Bashir supporters, some wearing military-like outfits and others T-shirts with pictures of guns, stood guard along roads to the school.

Inside Al-Mukmin, hundreds of students, staff and sympathizers were preparing for dusk prayers while others cleansed the three dead bodies before a prayer for them.

A banner in front of the school said: "There is no other choice: Live honorably or die as a martyr."

They have to stop fighting Islam. That's impossible because it is sunnatullah [destiny, a law of nature], as Allah has said in the Koran. If they want to have peace, they have to accept to be governed by Islam....We'll keep fighting them and they'll lose. The batil [falsehood] will lose sooner or later. I sent a letter to Bush. I said that you'll lose and there is no point for you [to fight us]. This [concept] is found in the Koran....As long as there is no intention to fight us and Islam continues to grow there can be peace....Allah's law must stand above human law. There is no [example] of Islam and infidels, the right and the wrong, living together in peace.