Beware! The Death of Santoso Didn't Stopping a Terror Threat

Tinombala Operation task force personnel killed two members of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) during a gun fight in Tambarana village, in Poso, Sulawesi, on Monday evening. One of the victims is allegedly the leader of the terror group, Santoso, who has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) movement in Syria and Iraq.
 
"One of the slain terrorists is supposedly Santoso, identified by the long beard and moles. The other body has yet to be identified," said Central Sulawesi Police deputy chief Sr. Comr. Leo Bona Lubis, adding that a team has been dispatched to recover and identify the dead bodies. He further explained that the gunfight erupted at 5 p.m and lasted for half an hour. Tinombala Operation task force's Alfa 29 team ambushed the small MIT group, consisting of three male and two female fighters. Knowing that two of their comrades had been killed, the two female fighters fled to the west part of the forest while the one surviving male fighter ran to the south.

Meanwhile, the government is currently confirming whether one of two people killed in a firefight in Tambarana Village, Poso, Central Sulawesi, is Indonesia's most-wanted terrorist, Santoso, an official said on Monday.

Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Luhut B. Pandjaitan confirmed that two terrorists shot death at around 5:30 p.m. on Monday were members of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT). However, he could not yet confirm whether one of the dead men, who has a similar physical appearances to Santoso, was indeed the MIT leader.

A source from the field said that during an exchange of fire with two women and three men, members of the Tinombala taskforce's Alpha 29 team shot dead two terrorists, one of which had long hair, a mole on his face, and a long beard, features that match Santoso's.

Whilst, Haedar Nashir, Muhammadiyah's chairman said identifying either individuals or groups known as supporters of terror group Islamic State (IS) and their locations in the country is necessary to monitor whether their numbers are increasing, an Islamic leader has said.
 
Following a suicide bombing in Surakarta, Central Java, on July 5, National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Sutiyoso said that there were many IS supporters in Indonesia, with partisans of the militant group thought to have been behind the attack.
 
The public has an important role to play in blocking the spread of religious extremist ideology in their local region to prevent the occurrence of radical and violent acts, Haedar said. He added that it was also important to cut the chain of poverty, which, he argued, is one of the prime factors that cause people to join IS.

As of March, the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict reported that up to 700 Indonesians had left the country to join IS; the terror group reportedly offers high salaries to new recruits.

Beware, a terror threat still perilous

The notorious leader of MIT, Santoso aka Abu Wardah allegedly reported dead after gunfight with Tinombala Operation in Tambarana village, Poso, Central  Sulawesi didn't mean that a terror threat would be eradicated.
    
The news of the death of fugitive terrorist Santoso is a good news for Indonesian people because its show that the capability of Indonesia Military and National Police to handle a terror threat can be realiable.
    
Eventhough, Santoso's dead might be started by a terror group to make "a reveange action". However, the death of Santoso could be trigered MIT's member will launching their next threat. MIT and another a terror group are a militant and they have a strong commitment to implement their ideology or their common interest, so that we must beware on any possibilities of a terror group threat.
    
As predicted earlier, Tinombala operation could be defeated MIT's group because TNI and National Police have capabilities to handle these case. However, a former National Police chief, General Badrodin Haiti had been stated that Tinombala operation should be ended before next August.
    
After gunfight in Tambarana village, Poso Central Sulawesi, MIT's member was predicted approxiamately around 15-20 personnel. They have a guerilla tactic and strategic which could be endangered Tinombala operation personnel. Estimated that MIT's member didn't never give up because they had been sworn to loyal to their organization until their dead.
    
On the global landscape, a number of a terror group will be defeated at gunfight areas such as in Fallujah, Iraq, Turkey, Suriah, Pakistan etc but a terror group was responded it with a number of a terror attack such as in Brusel, Belgium, Bataclan and Nice (France), Istanbul, Turkey, Dhaka Bangladesh, Medina and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and the latest at Germany.
    
In Indonesia, a number of a terror attack had been happened such as at Surakarta, Central Java and previously in Jakarta. Predicted earlier that a number of a terror cell had been existed at some of provinces such as Nusa Tenggara Barat, East Java, West Java, Banten, Central Java, North Sumatera, Central Sulawesi, Lampung and also Jakarta. At those provinces, it could be predicted that a terror threat still perilous, so that all circles at those provinces should be given a huge attention on those threat.
    
I think Tinombala operation should be continued until all of MIT's member has been surrendered alive or dead, because if we took action against a terror group didn't finished, it would be made a terror group's have an enough time to rebuild their group. So, war on terrorist group should be continued until the renegade and the notorious group terror in Indonesia has been crushed.
    
*) The writer is a security and political issues observer. Earned his master at the University of Indonesia (UI). Previously, his earned bachelor degree at the University of Jember (Unej).