Indonesia anti-terror squad kills six militants

[Valin]

Dawn:

12/31/13

 

JAKARTA: Indonesia's elite anti-terrorism squad shot and killed six suspected militants and arrested another amid New Year's Eve celebrations in an all-night standoff at a house near the country's capital, a police spokesman said Wednesday.

 

Intelligence gathered from earlier arrests allowed police to storm hideouts in Ciputat on Jakarta's outskirts as part of an investigation into an alleged plot to bomb the Myanmar Embassy and a Buddhist temple, said National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar.

 

The nine-hour-long shootout started late Tuesday when most Indonesians were preparing to celebrate the end of the year and ended Wednesday.

 

Amar said those killed had refused to surrender and had fired guns and lobbed homemade bombs at security forces, injuring one police officer in his leg.

 

(Snip)

[Valin]

Counter-Terrorism: Indonesia And The Raid

January 10, 2014:

 

Outside the Indonesian capital (Jakarta) police raided a house full of Islamic terrorists on December 31st. They were met with gunfire. After a nine hour siege six Islamic terrorists were dead and one captured. Police found six bombs, firearms and documents. This was what the security forces were looking for as this group was connected with the Santoso terrorist network. Santoso (many Indonesians go by one name) has been around for decades and is one of the few old-school Islamic terrorists still in action. The New Years Eve raid came about because earlier in the day police arrested another terrorist they were seeking and quickly got him to talk, and reveal the location of the house that was raided later that day.

 

This raid was part of year-long operation to hunt down a group of Islamic terrorists who were detected a year ago planning an attack on the Burmese embassy (in response to anti-Moslem activity in largely Buddhist Burma). This group also made themselves targets by conducting a series of armed robberies to raise cash. This included at least one bank robbery. There was also a failed suicide bomber attack on a police station. Most Santoso group activity takes place in central Indonesia and the capital and are believe connected with Islamic terror groups active on the nearby island of Sulawesi.

 

For two decades Sulawesi has been the scene of growing Islamic radicalism and terrorism. Thats because over half the population on Sulawesi is non-Moslem (mostly Christian). In the late 1990s, Islamic militants came along, preaching violence against infidels (non-Moslems). Over a thousand people have died so far, but extra police and soldiers have eliminated most of the violence. Hundreds of Islamic radicals are still on the island and nearby West Java, and are still preaching violence. Police activity in Sulawesi kept increasing because it was believed more members of terror group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) were coming to Sulawesi to hide out.

 

(Snip)