The police search one of the houses of the suspected terrorists in Dayeuhkolot, Bandung regency, West Java, Friday (26/5). The police also raided two other houses in Bandung in connection with terrorist networks believed to be behind the suicide bombing in Kampung Melayu, Jakarta.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has said that the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) group, which allegedly carried out a terrorist attack Kampung Melayu, Jakarta, on Wednesday night were known to the police. Therefore, the public does not need to panic or be worried.
“Their group, we already know about. Their cells, we already know about. I have instructed all personnel to hunt down these groups,” Tito said in Jakarta on Friday (26/5).
The JAD group which was founded in 2015 has continually targeted police personnel. So far more than 120 National Police personnel have become victims of the JAD network in Indonesia. As many as 40 of them have died, including three National Police personnel who were killed in the Kampung Melayu bomb attack.
Some of the members of the JAD group have been arrested. The police have also on a number of occasions foiled attempted JAD terror attacks. One of those was a planned terror attack on a police post at the Senen intersection in Central Jakarta. Some of the perpetrators were caught at the Jatiluhur reservoir area in December 2016.
The JAD members had also planned an attack in Bandung, West Java. However, a bomb exploded first in Taman Pendawa, Cicendo, Bandung in February and the man that set the bomb off, Yayat Cahdiyat, was shot dead by the police.
The two suicide bombers in Kampung Melayu, who have been identified as Ichwan Nurul Salam, 31, and Ahmad Sukri, 31, according to Tito, had actually also been on the National Police radar. However, they may have adopted new methods that allowed them to avoid being detected by police and intelligence agencies, resulting in them being able to carry out the bomb attack in Kampung Melayu.
Based on information obtained from the investigation of the case in Bandung yesterday, the National Police raided a house belonging to WS on Jalan Rancasawo, Buah Batu, Bandung city; the house of AK in Babakan Sangkuriang village, Dayeuhkolot and Andir, Bandung regency; and the house of JS in Bangkok village, Cisarua, West Bandung regency. WS, AK and JS were arrested last Thursday in different places.
The National Police have also detained LS and her husband, H, from Paledang village, Suci Kaler village, Karangpawitan, Garut. LS is a younger sister of AK. “LS and her husband have been taken in by the West Java Police to be questioned,” said West Java spokesperson Sr. Comr. Yusri Yunus.
ISIS
The suicide bomb attack in Kampung Melayu is not merely a local case, but is an example of a global phenomenon. The JAD supports the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Their link to ISIS is Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian who has been assigned to be a leader of an ISIS wing.
According to Tito, ISIS has ordered its cells in some countries to carry out attacks. Other than the attack in Kampung Melayu, ISIS have also claimed responsibility for the attacks in Manchester, UK, and Marawi, Philippines.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto said that the government had received information on activities by an ISIS group that is looking to make Marawi the base for the terror group in Southeast Asia. This group wants to recruit members from a number of countries to join. This is in line with the change in the ISIS recruitment patterns from one that was centralized in Syria to now sending back their trained group members to their country of origin.
To tackle this problem, Wiranto said that Indonesia has coordinated with Australia. Indonesia also plans to engage in cooperation with the Philippines, New Zealand and Malaysia and Brunei to counter ISIS’ plan.
