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Bali terrorists linked to Ba’asyir: BNPT

No stone unturned: Detectives from the Denpasar Police headquarters examine the scene at Hotel Laksmi in Denpasar, Bali, where police shot and killed suspected terrorists on Sunday

Margareth S. Aritonang and Rabby Pramudatama (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, March 20, 2012

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Bali terrorists linked to Ba’asyir: BNPT

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span class="inline inline-left">No stone unturned: Detectives from the Denpasar Police headquarters examine the scene at Hotel Laksmi in Denpasar, Bali, where police shot and killed suspected terrorists on Sunday. Police said they shot dead five suspected terrorists in a shoot-out in two locations on the resort island. JP/Agung ParameswaraFive suspected terrorists killed in a raid in Bali were linked to the terrorist group Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT), founded by radical cleric Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, and were planning to launch a major attack on the resort island, the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) disclosed on Monday.

BNPT chief Ansyaad Mbai told reporters that the suspected terrorists were planning to launch an attack in parts of Bali, as well as other areas in the country.

“Those who were killed in Bali last Sunday were also involved in both the armed robbery in Medan, North Sumatra, and in several bombings in Surakarta, Central Java. We have found out that these people, as well as several others involved in both incidents, have links to the JAT,” he told reporters.

Ansyaad said the five alleged terrorists and some other suspects, had been carrying out surveillance in Bali for the past three months before they were killed in raids in Sanur and Soputan late on Sunday.

He said that some other suspects had eluded capture and had fled from Bali, while others were planning to attack other targets.

Ansyaad gave assurances that Bali remained safe as the authorities had managed to intercept the group.

“I can’t disclose names of the targeted areas, but I can say that these people are targeting both locals and foreigners. However, I assure you that there’s nothing to worry about because Bali is under our control. It is up to foreign countries if they want to issue a warning against visiting Bali,” he said.

The JAT has been included in a US list of foreign terrorist organizations.

The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has also blacklisted three Indonesian citizens associated with the group: its acting leader Mochammad Achwan, spokesman Son Hadi bin Muhadjir and leadership figure Abdul Rosyid Ridho Ba’asyir, one of Ba’asyir’s sons.

Separately, a National Police spokesperson said that members of the National Police’s Densus 88 counterterrorism unit had no option but to kill the suspects because they resisted arrest.

“In the raids, the suspects resisted arrest and our officers were forced to take them down,” National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution told a press conference.

Police at the scene found no explosives near the suspects’ hideout.

The police found two pistols and 12 bullets used by the suspects against members of Densus 88 on Sunday night. Police also found a rented Avanza car with the licence plate DK 1281 FW at the location.

An eyewitness and staff member from the Laksmi 99x hotel, I Made Tama, said that the suspects had planned to hire three prostitutes on Sunday night.

“Two prostitutes were about to enter the hotel when the police blocked the main gate and prohibited them from entering. I had just returned from my dinner and the police also stopped me. A few moments later I heard gunfire,” he said.

From Bandung, West Java, police said they would launch an investigation in areas where two of the
slain terror suspects had originated.

Arya Dipa contributed to this report from Bandung and Ni Komang Erviani and Peni Widarti from Denpasar.


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