Let Indonesia worry about its own Islamic terrorists. Here is the latest from Indonesia–
Indonesia counter-terrorism unit arrests 59 militants suspected of planning to disrupt election
Hannah Fang | HKU Faculty of Law, CN/HK
NOVEMBER 2, 2023 10:30:03 AM
Indonesia’s counter-terrorism unit, Detachment 88, has arrested 59 suspected militants in connection to a purported plan to disrupt the democratic process, the unit spokesperson announced on Tuesday.
The spokesperson revealed that the detained individuals had intentions to carry out attacks targeting security forces responsible for safeguarding the election proceedings. Weapons, propaganda materials and chemicals used in the making of explosive devices were seized during the arrests.
The Counterterrorism Special Detachment 88, commonly known as Densus 88, was established after the 2002 Bali bombings. The unit is supported by funding, equipment, and training provided by the United States through the Antiterrorism Assistance Program and by Australia.
19 of those arrested were from the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) network, an Indonesia-based terrorist network formed in the early 1990s, while 40 suspects were from Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), an Islamic State-inspired terror network established in Indonesia in 2015.