Two alleged terrorists arrested in Indonesia's South Sumatra province
They are allegedly members of Islamic State of Indonesia or NII.
SOUTH SUMATRA: Indonesia’s counterterrorism police force has arrested two suspected terrorists in South Sumatra province.
Densus 88 arrested the duo, identified through their initials, MD (51) and MA (49), in East Ogan Komering Ulu Regency, on Nov. 19, Indonesian police said in a statement.
MD, a resident of Triyoso Village, was arrested at about 5.30am (local time) while MA, a resident in Sidorahayu Village in Belitang District, was picked up at 7.30am after taking his child to school.
The two were allegedly terrorists from Negara Islam Indonesia or Islamic State of Indonesia, commonly known as NII.
"They had been monitored for a long time by Densus 88 until they were successfully arrested without resistance," East East Ogan Komering Ulu police chief Kevin Leleury said in the statement.
After the arrests, members of Densus 88 immediately searched the homes of the two alleged terrorists.
They found pieces of alleged evidence in the form of books about violent jihad, documents, clothes and mobile phones.
"After being arrested, the two suspects and evidence were immediately taken to (South Sumatra’s capital city of) Palembang for further interrogation," he said.
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The NII, frequently abbreviated DI (for Darul Islam) in the media, has been a source of violent extremism in Indonesia since it was established in 1949, said the Jakarta-based thinktank, Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (Ipac), in a report.
“A suicide bomber involved in an attack on police in December 2022 in Bandung was only the latest example of an individual schooled in DI/NII ideology who left the organisation for a more militant group,” Ipac said.
The challenge for the Indonesian government is how to handle a vast network now in its third or fourth generation, with tentacles reaching into communities across the country, Ipac added in its January 2023 report.
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