The Indonesian police has asserted that a suspected militant, who was arrested last week, was plotting an Independence Day bomb attacks in some Indonesian cities.
The suspect was also part of a network which was responsible for violence in the Philippines, with links to the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan.
National police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said that the anti-terrorism unit Densus 88, arrested the suspect in West Sumatra last Thursday. The suspect was identified as Novendri, a member of the Islamic State-inspired Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) group.The JAD was banned by the Indonesian government last year due to terrorism activities and affiliations with foreign militants. Novendri had allegedly planned attacks in two police headquarters in Padang and a few other spots on the upcoming Independence Day on 17th August 2019.
The police also suspect foreign links among Indonesian militants. A leader, identified as Saefulah, is currently based in Afghanistan where IS militants operate. After the defeat of IS in Iraq and Syria, some Indonesian militants had travelled to Afghanistan.
Earlier, another man was arrested in Bekasi, West Java, for planning a suicide bomb attack in Jakarta in May after the release of the presidential election results. The police suspected that the network had links to militants in the Philippines, as they had initially helped a couple to travel to the Philippines from Indonesia’s Sulawesi island. The couple were reportedly responsible for a suicide attack at a cathedral in Southern Philippines back in February 2019, which killed 22 people.
Dedi added that the Densus 88 officers are currently working closely with police from Malaysia, the Philippines, USA, Afghanistan, and Australia to investigate the matter and combat future attacks.
Source: Channel News Asia
Image: Jawa Pos