T

he National Police have arrested two terror suspects who were allegedly planning to attack police posts and a well-known red-light district in Surabaya, East Java.

The militants are believed to be linked to a major terror cell led by Santoso in Poso, Central Sulawesi, whose followers have fled to various areas, including Surabaya, the country'€™s second-largest city.

The police'€™s counterterrorism squad, Densus 88, arrested the suspects '€” identified as Isnaini Ramdhoni, 30, and Abdul Majid, 35 '€” in Surabaya on Monday evening, after they were spotted at a local gas station.

National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said that it had been uncovered that the suspects were plotting to carry out a number of terror attacks.

'€œThey were going to attack entertainment centers in Surabaya, namely Taman Hiburan Rakyat [THR], Dolly and Galaxy night club, among other places,'€ he said.

Dolly is Surabaya'€™s largest red-light district, which Tri Rismaharini, the city'€™s mayor, plans to shut down this year.

Boy added that the militants were also targeting police posts in Keputih and Kenjeran.

According to East Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Unggung Cahyono, the two suspects were believed to be in the city to launch another attack on police officers in the wake of many deadly terror raids carried out by Densus 88.

Earlier this month, the antiterror squad killed six suspected terrorists during a raid on New Year'€™s Eve in Ciputat, South Tangerang. The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is investigating the incident to decide whether the killings were legally justified.

'€œBoth of them are members of the group led by Santoso, and both are targeting police officers,'€ Unggung told the press in Surabaya shortly after the arrests.

Santoso is the leader of the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen, a group hiding in the jungles of Poso. He has reportedly masterminded a number of attacks against police officers in Poso, and is currently being hunted after posting a six-minute video on YouTube in which he calls on his followers to keep up the fight against Densus 88.

Boy said that the police were stepping up efforts to hunt down Santoso'€™s followers.

'€œMany of those who participated in training in Poso escaped. Some of them went to East Java, including the two individuals recently arrested in Surabaya.'€

Following their arrests, Isnaini and Abdul were taken to their nearby homes where the police found two steel gas cylinders filled with explosive material.

The police also found a detonator, timer, flash disk and Rp 4,750,000 (US$389.50) in cash.

Whether the suspects were involved in the explosion of a Mandiri ATM booth in Malang earlier this month, however, is still being investigated.

Although the police have yet to find a connection, East Java Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Awi Setiyono said that they were looking for evidence that might link the two with the ATM booth explosion.