Indonesia arrests 11 over suspected links to terrorist networks

JAKARTA: Authorities in Indonesia have arrested 11 people believed to be linked to terrorist networks in a series of operations carried out across six provinces since Oct 2.

In a statement on Sunday (Oct 4), the police counterterrorism force Special Detachment 88 (Densus 88) spokesman Mayndra Eka Wardhana said that the suspects were arrested in raids across West Java, Central Java, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Riau, and North Maluku provinces.

The 11 were aged between 22 and 52. They were identified by Densus 88 by their initials: HN (43), SM alias NM (52), HA (45), YDKAP (22), S (49), A (32), CG (29), J (36), MF (37), AF (26) and MW (42).

"The suspects are believed to be affiliated with Daulah Islamiyah and other terrorist networks," Wardhana was quoted as saying by state news agency Antara. 

According to reports, Daulah Islamiyah is widely used to describe local extremist factions aligned with Islamic State ideology. 

Wardhana on Sunday said that the arrests were followed by a series of investigations, including search operations, the seizure and examination of evidence and the questioning of witnesses and suspects.

Early investigations found purported links between the 11 suspects despite their operations spanning different provinces across Indonesia.

The suspects, Wardhana said, played various roles within their networks, including network consolidation, training, propaganda dissemination, direct and online recruitment, and planning of terrorist acts.

"One of the schemes uncovered involves online meetings that virtually connected supporters of Daulah Islamiyah from several regions," he said.

News outlet Kompas reported Wardhana as saying that there were also indications that some of the suspects had undergone training.

"From physical training, shooting, and other training activities related to terrorism militancy," he said.

Wardhana stressed that the law enforcement measures undertaken by Densus 88 form part of police efforts to mitigate the risk of terrorist acts by disrupting propaganda activities, recruitment, indoctrination, and training that could lead to violence.

Earlier in May, the counterterrorism force had arrested eight suspected terrorists linked to the Islamic State-affiliated Jamaah Ansharut Daulah network in Central Sulawesi.

Preliminary investigations then found that the eight had allegedly spread extremist propaganda through social media posts, videos, and other content linked to radicalism and terrorism.