Police officers are on guard at the scene of an explosion that is believed to be a bomb during a suspected terrorist raid on Jl. KH Ahmad Dahlan, Pancuran Bambu, Sibolga Sambas, Siboga city, North Sumatra, on Tuesday (12/3/2019). The explosion was allegedly related to the arrest of suspected terrorists named HU, also known as AH, in Sibolga, North Sumatra, by the National Police’s Densus 88 counterterrorism squad.
The police have intensified their monitoring of areas suspected of being the domicile of a single terrorist network. People can help by being watchful to changes in the behavior of those around them.
SIBOLGA, KOMPAS — The National Police are wary of and at the same time monitoring the movement of suspected single terrorist networks in a number of areas, including a single terrorist network "developed" by suspected terrorist Abu Hamzah. The community was also asked to remain alert of the emergence of individual perpetrators of terror who had been exposed to radical content on social media.
The vigilance of the National Police has been intensified after the arrest of Abu Hamzah alias Husain in Sibolga city, North Sumatra, Tuesday (03/12/2019). As of Wednesday night, police officers were still combing explosive substances at Abu Hamzah\'s house on Jl. Cendrawasih, Sibolga city. The officers had found 30 kilograms of explosives and four homemade bombs ready to explode inside the house and gutters around Abu Hamzah\'s house.
A joint team comprising personnel from the police’s Densus 88 counterterrorism squad and the North Sumatra Police are still sterilizing the location from residents\' activities to a radius of around 200 meters.
"Our main focus is sterilizing the location of explosive substances. We combed the houses and the surrounding environment," said North Sumatra Police Chief Insp. Gen. Agus Andrianto.
ANTARA FOTO/JASON GULTOM
The head of the public information bureau of the National Police Public Relations Division, Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo, shows the case in which a bomb was being kept when it was detonated in Sibolga, North Sumatra, at the National Police headquarters, Jakarta, Wednesday (13/3/2019). The police have identified two victims of a bomb blast: the wife and child of suspected terrorist Abu Hamzah.
In the series of arrests, Abu Hamzah\'s wife, MA, 30, and his son, 2, were believed to have been killed. Abu Hamzah\'s wife detonated a bomb early Wednesday, even though police personnel were persuasive, through loudspeakers, asking MA to surrender. The bomb was classified as being a low explosive, but because its volume was large it was dangerous. The PVC pipe bombs contain potassium, nails, fragments of iron, bolts and nuts. The police were still identifying the number and identity of body fragments found at the location.
In Jakarta, President Joko Widodo expressed his appreciation for the hard work of the National Police, especially Densus 88, which managed to uncover the network and capture Abu Hamzah. In the future, the President said, it was hoped that the disclosure and arrest of the remaining cells could be immediately carried out because terrorist cells were very dangerous.
"There must be persistent action, without stopping, and we hope everything will be revealed soon," the President said.
Three mediums
The National Police are increasing their vigilance in a number of areas, such as in Sumatra (Riau, Lampung, North Sumatra), Kalimantan (West Kalimantan and East Kalimantan), Sulawesi (South Sulawesi and Central Sulawesi), and in all regions of Java. "Those areas are quite vulnerable and need to be monitored. We have monitored everything," said the head of the Public Information Bureau of the National Police Public Relations Division, Brig. Gen. (Pol) Dedi Prasetyo.
According to Dedi, those areas are intensively watched because in some of these areas, there are networks of Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), which is affiliated with Islamic State terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria. They are partly suspected of being individual terrorists. With regard to Abu Hamzah, he was allegedly acting as one of the coordinators for the JAD region.
Before arresting Abu Hamzah, the National Police first arrested RS alias PS, 23, in Bandar Lampung, Lampung, who was believed to be a "student" of Abu Hamzah. RS was believed to be planning attacks on police stations in Lampung or Jakarta. Later, the police also arrested PK alias SS, 37, in Kubu Raya regency, West Kalimantan.
According to Dedi, among the three people there was "communication". From the initial investigation, the police also found three mediums that Abu Hamzah used to communicate with people exposed to radical views in several areas, namely email, Whatsapp groups and Facebook.
"The content is about guidelines for assembling bombs and indoctrination," said Dedi, adding that Abu Hamzah had the ability to recruit and assemble bombs.
The role of the community
Based on the statement of the head of the administration section of the Sibolga city government, Agus Saleh, Abu Hamzah was a native of the area. However, it is not known where his wife came from.
Sibolga city, which is about 350 kilometers from Medan, is known for being peaceful and harmonious with united ethnic diversity. However, according to University of North Sumatra sociologist Muba Simanihuruk, suspected terrorists can be anywhere given the ideology of radicalism can hit anyone from any social class. What needs to be done, said Muba, is early vigilance to face the threat of terrorism.
Early vigilance among the community is needed to anticipate the presence of a single terrorist. Let alone now that exposure to radical content on social media is the main "weapon" of terrorist networks to radicalize new individuals.
National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) head Comr. Gen. Suhardi Alius assessed that legal measures need to be backed by the vigilance of the community. “Community care is needed because individuals who have been radicalized are easy to identify through their irregularities so that if there are significant changes from family members of neighbors, just report to the security officers as soon as possible,” Suhardi said.
The viligancy of the community helped Densus 88 arrest Abu Hamzah. He is considered an influential figure in the spread of radical ideas in cyberspace for a network of individual terrorists. Previously, parents of suspected terrorist RS reported him because he was believed to have been exposed to radicalism in line with a change of attitude and had disappeared for about a month. He was allegedly exposed to radicalism by Abu Hamzah through social media.
According to Suhardi, the community, regardless of their social strata, education level and gender, is increasingly vulnerable to being exposed to radicalism. The development of communication technology, such as social media and messaging applications, makes the radicalization process no longer require face-to-face meetings between the mentors and their followers.
"As long as there is mobile phone service, the owner of the mobile phone can be exposed to radical teachings. Then, someone who seeks comprehension about religion on search sites and social media is increasingly vulnerable to being radicalized because terrorist groups carry out member education in cyberspace," said Suhardi.
Certified Counter Terrorism Practitioner researcher Rakyan Adibrata assessed that radicalized individuals will increase in number because they study radical religious understandings in cyberspace. Content consumed on social media is only a product of pieces written by radical figures.
"The individuals who are self-radicalized are divided into two groups. First, they join a network by having role models. Second, they learn and prepare for their own actions," he said.
