Three Indonesian terrorists nabbed in antiterror operations
One one of them was helped travelling to Yemen to join an al-Qaeda branch there.
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s antiterror police force have arrested three suspected terrorists in the East Java and West Nusa Tenggara regions, a police official said.
The Head of the Public Information Bureau of the Public Relations Division of the Indonesian National Police, Brigadier General Ahmad Ramadhan, in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday, said that the law enforcement operations were carried out on Wednesday (May 31), Saturday (June 3) and Sunday (June 4).
"On Sunday at 12.05pm, one suspected terrorist with the initial ES and alias L was arrested in Tulungagung Regency, East Java," said Ramadhan.
ES was recorded having left for Yemen on Dec 14, 2014 with four of his colleagues, namely HS, AAK MT and MAA facilitated by ABU.
"This information was obtained from terrorist suspect MT," said Ramadhan, adding that the investigation of the suspect is still ongoing.
The suspect MT was the first one arrested on Wednesday at around 1.39am in Bina, West Nusa Tenggara.
"MT was facilitated by YR to go to Yemen and join the al-Qaeda branch there, the AQAP organisation," said Ramadhan, using an acronym for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Another suspected terrorist was arrested on Wednesday (June 3) in the Banyuwangi area, East Java. His identity has not been disclosed because investigators are still developing information.
"(Identity) doesn't exist yet. Investigation is still being carried out," said Ramadhan.
Ramadhan added investigators are still exploring the links between the three suspected terrorists, including their roles and network.
He said more information will be shared with the media as it is received from investigators from Densus 88, the antiterror police force.
Ramadhan did not say which terror group the trio were possibly with, however, the Jemaah Islamiyah, which was tagged in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed hundreds of people, had worked with al-Qaeda in the past.