From our friends at the Jakarta Globe, 12 March 2016
Jakarta. The country’s most-wanted terror group has been surrounded in a relatively small area in the hilly jungles of Poso in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia's chief security minister said on Friday (11/03).
Santoso, a high-profile Indonesian militant who has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State movement, leads the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terror group, which has for years evaded police in the forest-covered mountains around Poso.
Around 2,500 police and military personnel have been deployed since January as part of Operation Tinombala to capture Santoso and his followers.
“We managed to force them to move into a smaller area of approximately five square kilometers,” Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Panjaitan said in Jakarta, as reported by Antara news agency.
He added that the joint force had located the group's main hideouts.
Luhut called on Santoso and his gang to surrender in order to prevent more victims.
However, Luhut didn't say exactly how much time would be needed to finally capture Santoso.
“When fighting against guerrillas, no country in the world could expect to win in one month, or two,” he said.
The most successful raid during Operation Tinombala 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.
Weapons, ammunition and improvised bombs have also been confiscated on various occasions.
Another one of Santoso’s followers was shot dead on Feb. 28 in a firefight with police.
( Could be a case of wishful thinking also with Santoso sitting somewhere in the southern Philipines drinking kopi tubruk with his Moro pals while making indecent gestures with one or both of his middle fingers! ) siK's comments.
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za 12 maa 2016 - 23:06