Suspected Indonesian radical killed in counter-terrorism operation
JAKARTA: Indonesian police killed a suspected radical and detained three on Thursday during a counter-terrorism operation in an industrial area just hours away from the capital Jakarta.
Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population and has been on high alert over a recent resurgence in radicalism inspired by the extremist group Islamic State.
Officials said one suspect died on the way to hospital after being shot.
“The suspect was not being cooperative and tried to ram his car into a police vehicle so he was immobilized by an officer,” national police spokesman Rikwanto said in a statement, adding that a firearm was seized from the scene.
He added the man was suspected of being part of Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), an umbrella organization on a US State Department “terrorist” list that is estimated to have drawn hundreds of Islamic State sympathizers in Indonesia.
Four people were killed in Jakarta last year when militants launched a gun and bomb attack in the heart of the city. It was the first attack in the region claimed by Islamic State.
Indonesia has stepped up its counter-terrorism operations, rounding up dozens of suspected radicals across the country, and called on other countries to boost cooperation and intelligence-sharing.
President Joko Widodo condemned Wednesday’s attack near the British parliament in which four people, including the attacker, were killed, and dozens wounded.
“Indonesia again calls for massive cooperation between countries to eradicate terrorism,” Widodo said in a statement.
