JAKARTA – Convicted militant and suspected leader of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) Abu Rusdan was arrested last Friday here, along with three suspected JI members.
Police spokesman Ahmad Ramadhan told the Associated Press that Abu Rusdan “is currently known to be active among the unlawful JI network’s leadership”.
The 61-year-old militant was sentenced to prison in 2003 for sheltering Ali Ghufron, who was later convicted and executed for his role in the 2002 twin bombings in Bali.
Abu Rusdan was released in 2006, after which he began travelling across the country giving fiery speeches and sermons.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s police counterterrorism unit (Densus 88) has detained 53 alleged JI members in the past weeks, across 11 different provinces.
JI is said to be responsible for a string of bombings in the country, among others, the 2002 twin bombings in Bali that killed 202 people.
Ahmad said the national crackdown started months ago following tip-offs that JI has been recruiting and training new members in Indonesia.
After the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Indonesian National Intelligence Agency spokesman Wawan Hari Purwanto said in a video statement early this month that authorities are stepping up their efforts to detect and prevent “terrorist groups that have links to the Taliban’s ideology and networks”.
In the past year, Indonesian officials said they have caught dozens of militants and suspected JI members, including its alleged military leader, Zulkarnaen. He has been on the wanted list for more than 18 years. – The Vibes, September 14, 2021
