JAKARTA, Indonesia: Indonesia’s counter-terrorism unit has apprehended 59 individuals suspected of having militant affiliations, with some of them being loyalists of Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), an Islamic State-inspired group.
The arrests were made on suspicion of planning to disrupt an upcoming election, as announced by a spokesperson for the counter-terrorism unit on Tuesday.
Among the detainees, 19 were connected to the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) network, which maintains ties to al Qaeda. The remaining 40 suspects were associated with JAD, an organization that has sworn allegiance to the Islamic State.
As per Aswin Siregar, the spokesperson for the Densus 88 counter-terrorism taskforce, the JAD militants were suspected of conspiring to carry out attacks with the intent of disrupting the presidential and legislative elections scheduled for February 14.
In his statement at a news conference, Aswin explained, “For them, elections are deemed immoral and contrary to Islamic law. They have devised plans to target police facilities, as this aligns with their primary objective, which is the cancellation of the election.” However, he did not provide further details regarding the nature of their suspected plot.
The arrests were made during a series of operations conducted from October 2 to October 28. Additionally, law enforcement seized firearms and chemicals intended for the manufacturing of explosives, as disclosed by Aswin.
Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, witnessed a series of Islamist attacks in the years following the September 11, 2001, events in the United States, including the infamous Bali bombings of 2002, which claimed the lives of over 200 people, many of whom were Australian tourists. It was believed that JI orchestrated the Bali bombings.
However, security analysts have noted a significant reduction in the militant threat in recent years, largely attributed to the successful operations of security forces.
Aswin also issued a warning regarding pro-Palestinian protests and fundraising activities following the recent unrest in the Middle East, expressing concern that they could inflame passions and incite militant attacks. He stated that these activities heighten emotions and may lead to acts of terrorism.
