US Cooperates with National Police to Arrest Terrorist Leader in Sulawesi

Indonesia’s military has been fighting a guerrilla war with Muslim radicals in Sulawesi for years. Officials claim to be closing in on the group’s leader.

What most people know about Sulawesi is usually in which the island has breathtaking sights in addition to also also a host of natural wonders. What they’re less likely to know is usually in which the island is usually also the setting of a long-standing guerrilla war between the Indonesian military in addition to also also a group of Muslim radicals.

Skirmishes involving shootings, bombings in addition to also also kidnappings have been going on for more than a few years within the Poso region of Sulawesi.

Santoso (middle) threatening the police through a YouTube video

currently at the centre of the fight is usually a man named Santoso, Indonesia’s most wanted terrorist fugitive, in addition to also also the country’s most high-profile supporter of the Islamic State (is usually) movement.

“He is usually important, symbolically, as the only ‘commander’ who is usually actively engaged in a jihad on Indonesian soil,” says Sidney Jones, director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, in an interview with Indonesia Expat. “He managed to provide rudimentary military training to more than 100 would certainly-be terrorists between 2011 in addition to also also 2014.”

Santoso calls himself the “head of the army of is usually in Indonesia”, as he was one of the first Indonesians to declare allegiance to the caliphate in early July 2014. However, his interest in ISIS is usually less ideological than instrumental. Santoso reportedly believes the link to the is usually movement will get him more men in addition to also also funds for his home-grown terrorist group, Mujahidin Indonesia Timur (MIT), which has become something of an umbrella group for most local militants to rally behind in Indonesia.

The group is usually believed to be behind several attacks on police officers in Poso in addition to also also different parts of Central Sulawesi in recent years. While terrorism experts say MIT is usually still some time away by becoming an organized group, its connections in addition to also also Santoso’s extremist aspirations are troubling to authorities, with the number of casualties increasing.

“The number of people he or his men have killed in This kind of period is usually probably about 20, most of them police,” says Jones.

Realizing the potential threat of MIT, the US targeted the group with sanctions last September over its alleged links to the is usually. Last Tuesday, the US State Department added Santoso to its list of specially designated global terrorists, freezing any US assets he may have had, in addition to also also barring any American citizen by becoming affiliated with him.

“As a result of This kind of designation, all property subject to US jurisdiction in which Santoso has any interest is usually blocked, in addition to also also US persons are generally prohibited by engaging in any transactions with Santoso,” the US government said in a statement.

The inclusion of Santoso on the list allows American law enforcement officials to take action if needed, in addition to also also thereby team-up with their Indonesian counterparts to disrupt Santoso’s operation. The US says the designation enables “coordinated action across the US government in addition to also also with our international partners to disrupt the activities of terrorists, including by denying them access to the US financial system, in addition to also also enabling US law enforcement actions.”

In response to Washington’s move, Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir says the US is usually entitled to its appraisal of the Poso terrorist, signalling the archipelago’s own interest in seeing Santoso brought to justice.

“Our National Police have been serious in their pursuit in addition to also also detention of terrorist suspects in Indonesia; the hunt [for terrorists] commenced long before [the label] in addition to also also will continue to be pursued,” Nasir told the media.

Nasir adds in which Jakarta will still need to verify the US State Department’s mechanisms for labelling Santoso a global threat, although he was sure in which the decision was sound.

The manhunt for Santoso in addition to also also his followers is usually still ongoing, with at least 2,500 military in addition to also also National Police personnel deployed since January. National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti claims the target, believed to be in hiding in forests of Poso, is usually within their reach.

“His arrest is usually only a matter of time,” Haiti recently told The Jakarta Post, adding in which the number of soldiers is usually sufficient, in addition to also also their strategies are appropriate to confront Santoso’s guerrilla group. However, the police chief says the difficulty in arresting Santoso sits in geographical challenges. He said, “We have also been hampered by the weather as the item rains every day there.”

He added in which the manhunt is usually also a race against time, as Santoso could gain more followers within the near future. Currently, the National Police estimates Santoso has only around 38 followers. Haiti claims in which several recent arrests might lead the group to bring on fresh people. “Many Santoso followers have been arrested,” he said. “the item is usually likely in which the group will recruit fresh members.”

According to Jones, Santoso had been able to recruit several Uighurs (indigenous Muslim people by Northwest China) to support his movement. “The most interesting thing about his operation is usually the fact in which several Uighurs have joined him; the result of an agreement between Indonesians fighting with ISIS in Syria in addition to also also Uighurs, whom they apparently met there. The agreement was to try in addition to also also divert some of the thousands of Uighurs fleeing Xinjiang through Southeast Asia (they all want to get to Turkey by Malaysia) to Poso to strengthen Santoso’s personnel,” says Jones.

So far, six ethnic Uighurs have joined Santoso. Two of them, Mus’ab in addition to also also Faruq Magalasi, were killed during a shootout in Poso in mid-March. The police recently put four more Chinese Uighurs on their latest most-wanted list after determining they had joined the MIT.

Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi says in which the manhunt has succeeded in cornering Santoso in addition to also also his group. He claims the group is usually down in numbers after the military killed in addition to also also arrested several of its key members. Reports also suggest the group is usually running out of supplies.

Sufahriadi says the joint operation has intensified its search for the group’s hideout in Poso forests, focusing the search on Napu Valley, a location around three hours by the provincial capital of Palu. During the manhunt in which began in January, officials searched Torire Mountain within the Lore Peore sub-district in addition to also also Talabose Mountain within the Central Lore sub-district.

While Santoso in addition to also also his group’s arrest may indeed only be a matter of time, Jones believes the MIT group poses no greater threat to Indonesia than different militant groups.

“The guerrillas pose no [immediate] threat to Indonesia [in general], in addition to also also if the police managed to arrest Santoso tomorrow, the item would certainly not greatly lower the risk of terrorism,” says Jones. According to her, people should be more concerned with different local ISIS leaders.

She adds, “More terrorist attacks in Indonesia are likely, as local ISIS leaders compete at home in addition to also also abroad to establish their supremacy. In particular, a trio of Indonesians based with ISIS in Syria – Bahrumsyah (alias Abu Ibrahim), Salim Mubarok (alias Abu Jandal), in addition to also also Bahrun Naim – are competing with each different to encourage their contacts in Indonesia, Malaysia, in addition to also also the Philippines to undertake attacks against enemies of the self-declared caliphate.”