E

xperts say terrorists are likely responsible for the recent murder of two Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers in Aceh.

Terrorism expert Al Chaidar said the murder of the two TNI members bore the hallmarks of killings carried out by the Abu Roban terrorist group.

'€œThese people must have been members of Abu Roban'€™s radical group in Aceh. The way they killed the victims is totally different and they are very brave to have abducted and killed these two military men. GAM or other groups in Aceh would have thought twice before doing this,'€ Al Chaidar told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, two abducted Army personnel, First Sgt. Indra and Second Sgt. Hendri, were found dead in Alue Mbang Village, Nisam Antara subdistrict, North Aceh.

Indra and Hendri were abducted on Monday while gathering intelligence on the Din Minimi-led armed group. Din Minimi is a former Free Ache Movement (GAM) member now fighting against the Aceh government.

Al Chaidar said he had received information that Din Minimi has denied involvement in the murder.

Abu Roban was the leader of the West Indonesia Mujahidin before he was killed in a shoot-out with Densus 88 agents in Kendal, Central Java, in 2013.

The police have held members of the Abu Roban group responsible for a spate of armed robberies and attacks across Sumatra, Java and Bali.

Al Chaidar said followers of Abu Roban in Aceh were mostly young, inexperienced Acehnese.

In the past, members of the Abu Roban terror group have targeted military personnel, drug dealers and wealthy former GAM members.

Al Chaidar, who has conducted research on terrorism in Aceh, said there were at least 40 Abu Roban members active in the province.

Members of the group have also pledged support to the Islamic State (IS) movement, and 10 of them reportedly have weapons. Although the majority Acehnese, several of members come from Jambi and Palembang.

The group has no affiliation with the terror group that was rounded up in Jalin Hill, Greater Aceh in 2010.

The TNI has said it has yet to link the murder to the Din Minimi group, and that it was highly unlikely that former GAM members were behind the attacks.

'€œIt is impossible for the killers to be GAM members because we already have the Helsinki peace agreement. The perpetrators must be terrorists,'€ Indonesian Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Wuryanto said on Tuesday.

In the wake of the murder, the TNI has deployed extra personnel to the Nisam Antara subdistrict, North Aceh.

Responding to the move, the Commission of Missing persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Aceh have called on the TNI to withdraw its personnel, as the case was being investigated by police.

'€œAlthough the victims are Army personnel, the authority to find the perpetrators rests with the police. Military members should return back to the base,'€ Hendra Saputra, Kontras Aceh coordinator, said on Wednesday.

Hendra said the presence of a large number of military personnel could revive memories of armed conflict in the area.