Police claim victory over terrorists in Aceh

Jakarta | Fri, 03/12/2010 7:35 PM

Aceh Police chief Insp. Gen. Adityawarman said Friday security authorities had restored order in Lamkabeu village in the Aceh regency of Aceh Besar after almost two weeks of crackdowns on suspected terrorists there.

Adityawarman said local residents, who were mostly farmers, could resume their activity after the police lifted the blockade of access to their rice fields. During the police hunt for terror suspects, the farmers stayed at home despite the arrival of harvest time.

“Lamkabeu is already clean and people can continue their activities,” Adityawarman told a media conference.

The police gunned down two terror suspects and arrested eight others in the final strike Friday that completed the onslaught of the terror group that is believed to set sight on building a new base for the Southeast Asia terror network. The police also seized three M 16 and two AK 47 assault rifles, a Glock pistol, bullet caches and bank notes.

Altogether, four terror suspects were shot dead and 31 others arrested during the operation, which involved the Mobile Brigade police strike force, counterterrorism squad and local police. Three police officers and two civilians were also killed.

At about the same time the counterterrorism squad raided two places in Pamulang in South Tangerang, killing long-time fugitive Dulmatin and two of his guards and arrested several others. It was unveiled later the suspected terrorists in Pamulang supplied weapons and funding to the Aceh terror group.

Police officer, two civilians killed in Aceh firefight

The government's campaign against terrorist groups in Aceh escalated this week with a police officer and another civilian losing their lives in a skirmish.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang confirmed on Friday the deaths of one of his officers and the civilian. The police officer was identified as First. Brig. Boas Woisiri and the civilian was Nurbari.

Aritonang said additional groups of officers were deployed to assist their counterparts in pursuing the terrorist suspects.

"The terrorists knew the field better than us and they held the higher ground so they could monitor our movements and positions," Edward told a press conference.

Besides the "home-ground advantage", he also admitted that the terrorists were better armed and equipped than the police.

From Wednesday to Thursday, Aceh and National Police teams raided a suspected armed terrorist group in Meunasah Tunong village, Aceh Besar.

Besides the two deaths, dozens were injured, including nine police officers.

Last week, the police raided another group in Jantho, Aceh Besar, where another civilian was killed in the crossfire.

The police have maintained that they had warned villagers, including the two dead civilians, about the raid.

Aceh Police chief Insp. Gen. Aditya Warman said the police were collecting more information on the group. So far, they suspected that the group had made make-shift military camps in Aceh's dense forests.

"They freely conduct military training in Aceh's forests because they think Aceh is a safe haven for them," Aditya said.

He said the police had found uniforms that resembled Malaysian military fatigues, binoculars, T-shirts emblazoned with Arabic text and several books on Ali "Muklas" Gufron. Muklas was sentenced to death for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings. He was executed along Amrozi in November 2008.

"Based on this evidence, we believe they have links with existing terrorist groups in Indonesia," Aditya went on.

On the other hand, he said, the police had not found any evidence that linked the group with the Free Aceh Movement, although several local figures had joined the suspected terrorist group.

Aceh Police said they suspected the group only used Aceh as the training ground, not as a target.

"They use Aceh as a recruitment and training base," he said.

Aritonang said that, as of Friday, as many as 14 people related to recent terrorist activity in Aceh have been arrested. Thirteen of whom have been taken to the Mobile Brigade prison in Kelapa Dua, Depok for further questioning while another was being questioned by local police in Aceh.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on police to not underestimate the terrorists. Yudhoyono said they had chosen Aceh as their new "playground" in the hope that the government would not become aware of their existence.