A suspected member of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group was shot dead by Operation Tinombala Task Force personnel in Tombua plantation area in South Poso Pesisir district, Poso regency, Central Sulawesi, on Monday morning. An intelligence report indicates that the man, suspected to be Sobron, a senior MIT figure, was killed instantly after he was shot in the head.
Operation Tinombala commander Brig. Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi said among the physical characteristics of the suspected terrorist that would be used to confirm the identity would be the suspect's height, which was around 164 centimeters, his shoulder-length hair and his fair complexion. "His physical appearance is just like Sobron, who escaped during the arrest of Basri, alias Bagong recently," said Rudy.
The shooting began when patrol Charlie 16 personnel led by Chief Brig. Ristoka surprised a man walking in the plantation area at around 8:30 a.m. local time, on Monday. He was ordered to raise his hands but as he instead attempted to throw a grenade at the security forces personnel they shot him.
Following the incident two grenades, two machetes, a backpack and a sleeping bag were seized. The suspected terrorist's body has been sent to the Central Sulawesi Police's Bhayangkara Hospital in Palu.
At another occassion, Operation Tinombala task force commander Brig. Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi said the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group is getting weaker as security forces arrest or kill its members one at a time. He further explained that only 11 MIT members remained at large, four of whom were from Poso, Central Sulawesi. They are Ali Ahmad aka Ali Kalora, Tini Susanti Kaduku aka Umi Fadel (Ali's wife), Suhartono aka Yono Sayur or Pak Ipan, and Muhammad Faisal aka Namnung or Kobar.
The seven other members, according to Rudy, are all from Bima, West Nusa Tenggara. They allegedly include Firdaus aka Daus or Barok or Rangga, Askar aka Jaid or Pak Guru, Kholid Qatar aka Farel, Abu Alim, Basir aka Romzi and Nae aka Galuh."Their names and pictures have been printed on banners in several locations across Poso," said Rudy, who is also the Central Sulawesi Police chief. He added the remaining 11 MIT members, all of whom were in one group led by Ali, were still in their hideouts in forests of Poso Pesisir.
Earlier, on Monday morning, Tinombala personnel shot dead alleged MIT member Adji Pandu Suwotomo aka Sobron, only five days after they busted the group's second in command, Basri aka Bagong.
Meanwhile, Central Sulawesi Governor Longki Djanggola expressed his appreciation of Operation Tinombala's performance and his hope that terrorism in Poso would swiftly come to an end. He said the arrest of Basri proved that the Indonesian Military and National Police had prioritized a humane approach in handling terrorism in Poso.
Will be Defeated
The performance of Tinombala Task Forces members were made all of Indonesia's people to be proud to them, because its has been shown that our national security forces and an intelligence community could be handled every security problems in the country.
The successful of Tinombala Operations can spur Indonesia spirit to combat terrorism, and Indonesia will be became a role model in the context of combatting terrorism.
We can predict that the moral spirit of MIT members has been decreasing and their solidity might be weaken because they were losed a number of their members. Even though, MIT members has been facing a seriously internal problem, we couldn't under estimate to their capability to launch counter attacks.
Being admitted or not, MIT has been having some of difficulties to maintain and to recruit a new members under Tinombala Operation siege. Besides that, the awareness and the vigilance of people's on a terrorism threat in Poso, Central Sulawesi and another places in Indonesia has been increasing.
Earlier, a public in Indonesia had believed that MIT would be defeated by Tinombala Operation because the strenght of MIT didn't as equal enemy for our army and police. One of MIT's capability has a well known on terrain in Poso, Central Sulawesi, because they have been existed there since a long time ago.
If a ramnant of MIT members didn't surrender, we can be allowed to our security personnel to haunt and catch them dead or alive through a military operation. But if any information from our intelligence community in Poso which gave any signals that a ramnant of MIT members will be surrendered, it will be great if we are taking non-military strategies or soft approach to defeat them.
But, an implementing non-military strategies to combat terrorism is enough difficult because a terror group's and their supporters also using a same strategies to recruit and to influencing people specially youth people to be their member.
Therefore, the successful of non-military strategies is depend on whoever can get and win "heart and minds of the people", so truthness and steadfastness to be a crucial factor in non-military strategies.
*) The author graduated from Udayana University, Bali. Former Director of Mass Communication in Lembaga Analisa Politik dan Demokrasi, Jakarta.
The East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) Will be Defeated
Jumat, 23 September 2016 15:24 WIB
The successful of non-military strategies is depend on whoever can get and win "heart and
minds of the people".