Police keep hunting down ‘terrorists’

The police remain on high level alert over terror threats with some accomplices of suspected terrorists still at large, says police chief.

“They still hold MK3 rifles. We must be cautious about this because they’re very dangerous,” National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri said in Medan on Wednesday.

Bambang was in the city to extend compensation to the families of four police members killed in the recent terrorist-linked incidents.

One was slain during the CIMB Niaga bank heist in Medan and the other three during an attack on the Hamparan Perak Police station in Deli Serdang regency.

The bank heist, during which the robbers made away with hundreds of thousands of rupiah, sparked an intensive and extensive hunt for suspected terrorists.

The police have since killed 10 and detained 31 members of the armed group, all of who were, Bambang said, linked to a terrorist network.

The police have also confiscated a number of firearms and ammunition said to have been used by the suspects, such as an M-15 assault rifle, four AK-56 rifles, three FN revolvers and many rounds of ammunition for MK3 rifles.

The M-15 assault rifle belonged to the Mobile Brigade member killed in the bank robbery.

He said the manhunt on the terrorist group in North Sumatra began after the arrest of two men named Iwan and Udin, who were found buying 50 firearms in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, to be sent to North Sumatra.

Based on the information, the elite antiterrorism squad Detachment 88 launched the manhunt on the terror suspects.

During the raids in Tanjung Balai city and Deli Serdang regency on Sept. 19, the team nabbed 18 terror suspects, three of who were shot dead.

In the later rounds of the raid, seven more were killed reportedly in a gun battle at Serdang Bedagai regency.

“The joint team has also caught three of them,” Bambang said, adding that the last slain terrorist was found dead floating in the river in Martebing village, near the gun battle scene, on Wednesday.

The armed group was believed to be part of those who had held a military training camp in Aceh.

They entered North Sumatra after their camp was ambushed by the police.

Bambang said 19 of the 50 people believed to have earlier been involved in military training in Jantho, Aceh, were still present in North Sumatra.

North Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Oegroseno said the joint police and military team were still searching for the armed group in Dolok Masihul, Serdang Bedagai regency.

He said the team would not leave the site of the ambush in Dolok Masihul because two more suspects were thought to still be there.

“We believe two more suspects are still in Dolok Masihul, one of them carrying an AK-47, while two other suspects have fled from Dolok Masihul,” Oegroseno said. He said the manhunt had no time limit. “We will continue to hunt until we nail them,” he said.