Four Uzbek terror suspects nabbed in Indonesia
They have been linked to the Katibah Tauhid Waljihad, a designated Middle Eastern global terror organisation active especially in Syria.
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s counterterrorism force arrested four Uzbek terror suspects allegedly involved with the Katibah Tauhid Waljihad, a Middle Eastern terror organisation especially active in Syria.
Indonesian National Police’s antiterror force Densus 88 arrested the four Uzbek men on Mar 24, Head of the Public Information Bureau of the Public Relations Division of the Indonesian National Police, Brigadier General Ahmad Ramadhan, was quoted as saying in news reports.
"The National Police's antiterror Densus 88 is working with the North Jakarta Class I Immigration Office, and three of the four Uzbeks are suspected of being involved in terrorist activities through propaganda on social media and are part of an international terror organisation," Ramadhan reportedly said at police headquarters, Jakarta, Tuesday (Apr 4).
The four Uzbeks were identified by their initials, namely BA @ JF (32), OMM @ IM (28), BKA (40) and MR (26).
According to Ramadhan, BA @ JF was observed to be actively spreading propaganda on various social media platforms, as well as trying to find people who had the same understanding as him in Indonesia to carry out acts of terror.
Ramadhan revealed that the four Uzbek foreigners had travelled to Indonesia via Istanbul, Abu Dhabi and Malaysia.
Two of them departed for Indonesia on Feb 6, 2023, while the other two departed on Feb 27.
Based on information from the government of Uzbekistan and the results of the investigation by Densus 88, the three Uzbek men were part of the Katibah Tauhid Waljihad international terror organisation, said Ramadhan.
The organisation is active in the Middle East region, especially Syria, said Ramadhan, adding BKA had the role of providing financial support and fake documents.
"Of the four, three were active and part of a terrorist organisation. And one was a supporter or provider of financial support and fake documents," said Ramadhan.
The US State Department last year designated Katibah Tauhid Waljihad or KTJ as a global terror organisation.
Affiliated with al-Qaeda, KTJ operates primarily in Idlib Province, Syria, alongside Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and cooperates with other designated terrorist groups such as Katibat al-Imam al-Bukhari and Islamic Jihad Group, said the State Department on its website.
In addition to engaging in terrorist activities in Syria, KTJ has also been responsible for conducting external attacks, such as the Saint Petersburg metro attack in April 2017 which killed 14 passengers and injured 50 others, as well as a suicide car bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in August 2016 which wounded three people, the State Department added.