Nine suspected terrorists were captured in a series of raids in South Sulawesi, Central Java, East Java and Riau on Tuesday (24/10), a police official said.
Officers nabbed Bakri aka Bakri Barocong aka Aslam aka Pak Nur (42) in Titampu village, Towuti, East Luwu, South Sulawesi, for his involvement in a bomb attack on former South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo in November 2012, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto said in a telephone interview.
Bakri’s involvement was disclosed during a trial of terrorism convicts Jodi and Awaluddin, who received from him a pipe bomb and a lighter to assassinate the governor.
The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) previously linked the attack to the Islamic State-affiliated Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT).
Separately, in Pekanbaru, Riau, police arrested five men: Yoyok Handoko aka Abu Zaid, (42), Wawan aka Abu Afif (42), Beni Samsu Trisno aka Abu Ibrohim (31), Handoko aka Abu Buchori, and Nanang Kurniawan aka Abu Aisha.
According to Setyo, Wawan leads the Pekanbaru chapter of Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) and has ordered its members to attack police officers. Yoyok, Beni and Handoko participated in the group’s shooting and bomb-making training in Jambi. The three were inaugurated as JAD members by Wawan.
While Yoyok and Beni were reportedly involved in planning attacks on police posts and offices, Setyo gave no details about Nanang’s involvement in the group. He also did not say when the Jambi training took place.
JAD, an Islamic State affiliate, was involved in the most recent terrorist attacks in Indonesia.
In Kendal, Central Java, police captured Muhammad Khoirudin (32), who according to Setyo was funding Hendro Fernando’s group in 2015-16. The group was involved in a gun and bomb attack near the Sarinah shopping mall on Jakarta’s Jalan Thamrin in January last year. Eight people, including the assailants, were killed in the attack.
Police also arrested Hasby in Sukoharjo, Central Java, but no details were given about his involvement.
The last arrest took place in East Java’s Ponorogo, where Hendrasti Wijanarko aka Koko aka Jarwoko aka Lir Ilir (32) was captured. Police said Hendrasti was involved in various social media groups related to Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian militant based in Syria, who is suspected of organizing the Sarinah attack. The social media groups included a Telegram platform to support terrorist activities, including a foiled attack on the Presidential Palace in Jakarta this year.
According to Setyo, Hendrasti often visited terrorism convicts at a prison in Madiun, East Java, and helped in preparations of Dian Yulia Novi, the female suicide bomber chosen to attack the Presidential Palace.
“Police are interrogating the arrested individuals,” Setyo said.
Under Indonesia’s antiterrorism laws, police can interrogate suspected terrorists for seven days before announcing their legal status.
