Three alleged female terrorists to surrender

The Jakarta Post, Palu, March 17 2016


Three suspected female terrorists linked to a terrorist group lead by most-wanted terrorist Santoso are said to be planning to surrender to police on Thursday.

Based on information from an intelligence source who spoke on the condition of anonymity to journalists, the three suspected female terrorists are the wives of East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group members, including its leader Santoso aka Abu Wardah.

Newly installed Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi said he was aware of the information but could not provide confirmation.

"Let us see what develops," he said on Thursday.

According to the anonymous source, the females are Jumiatun Muslim aka Bunga aka Umi Delima, Santoso's wife, Nurmi Usman, the wife of Basri, and Tini Susanti Kaduku aka Umi Fadel, the wife of Ali Kalora. They have allegedly been hiding in the forest. The source also said that Santoso was ill.

"Yes he is ill. How do you know about that?" Rudy told journalists.

At joint team comprising 2,000 personnel from the police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) are assigned to Operation Tinombala, which is set on capturing Santoso and his followers hiding in the forests of Poso. The group, believed to be down to 30 members from 45, included three women and two Uighurs.

Dead terrorist

Rudy also said that he had given permission to the Central Sulawesi Muslim Lawyers (TPM) to take the remains of Dodo aka Fonda Amar Solokhin to be buried in his hometown of Surakarta, Central Java.

"They can take his body. That is his family's right," he said on Thursday, denying allegations that Central Sulawesi Police had prevented Dodo's family from taking their son's body from the morgue in Anutapura Hospital in Surakarta.

Dodo, a member of the MIT, died in a shoot-out with the joint authorities in Torire village, Central Lore subdistrict, Poso, on Feb. 28.

"I never got in their way. Police were waiting for the DNA results," he said.

Lawyer Andi Akbar from the Central Sulawesi TPM said on Thursday that his team and Dodo's family had attempted to pick up his body several times but were denied by the police.

"Our family has decided to bury him in Surakarta, so we are going to take him," said Dodo's stepmother, Umi Musaibah, on Thursday.

Dodo was on the police's wanted list for suspected involvement in terrorism-related activities in Poso. Police believe he joined Santoso's group in 2012.

Police also said that Dodo was to be Santoso's future son-in law, as he was arranged to be married to Santoso's daughter, Wardah, who is currently studying at Ngruki Islamic Boarding School in Surakarta. Dodo was known as Santoso's confidant and allegedly helped spread information about MIT activities on the internet.



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