Indonesia’s anti-terror squad arrests 4 suspected terrorists planning attacks during Christmas and New Year

The Indonesian Police’s anti-terror squad Densus 88 on Monday (Dec 13) arrested four suspected terrorists in the cities of Palembang and Lubuklinggau, in South Sumatra province, a police officer said.

They are allegedly linked to the outlawed Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) militant group and are suspected of planning several attacks during Christmas and New Year holidays, the South Sumatra Police’s spokesman Senior Commissioner Supriadi told a press conference on Monday.

He said that the police had watched the four suspects for four months before arresting them. They are now detained for further investigation.

Following the arrest, Supriadi said the police would strengthen security during the holidays, particularly at places of worship, urging people to immediately report to the police if they find something suspicious.

JI, an affiliate of Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda, was behind some of the deadliest attacks in Indonesia, including the 2000 Christmas Eve bombings against churches and priests and the 2002 nightclub blasts on Bali that killed 202 people, mostly Westerners.

Agencies