The
Indonesian government has extended Operation Tinombala 2016, its mission to
hunt terror fugitives in the hilly jungles of Poso, Central Sulawesi, led by the
Special Forces unit Kopassus.
The operation has yet managed to capture
the country’s most wanted terror fugitive since the mission on Jan. 10.
Santoso, a high-profile Indonesian
militant who has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State movement, leads the East
Indonesia Mujahidin, or MIT, which has for years evaded police by hiding out in
the jungles around Poso.
Around 2,500 military and police personnel
are currently looking for Santoso and his fighters under the leadership of Sr.
Comr. Leo Bona Lubis.
The two-month operation has arrested
and killed a number of fugitives, as well as confiscated militants’ weapons, ammunitions
and handmade bombs.
The most successful raid of the operation
was recorded on Jan. 21, when the police were involved in a series of gunfights
with members of Santoso's group, leading to the deaths of nine members and 21
arrests. Another one Santoso’s followers was also shot dead on Feb. 28 in
the mountains of Poso district after a shootout with the police.
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