Indonesian police officers deploy with their riot gear in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Dec
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The Central Sulawesi Police are to conduct DNA tests on a body, suspected to be that of a member of the Santoso-led terrorist group, found at a hidden camp in the village of Kilo, Poso Pesisir.
Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig.Gen. Idham Azis said on Thursday that the body had been taken to the police's Bayangkara Hospitals in Palu, the capital of Poso. The body was to arrive on Thursday afternoon.
Based on external examination of the corpse, the police have concluded that it is the body of Faruk, alias Magalasi, a foreigner.
According to Idham, police found 10 huts, located 15 kilometers from the coastal town of Poso, forming a camp believed to have been used by Santoso's group.
At the camp, police also found five homemade weapons, explosives, logistics equipment and male and female clothing, he said, adding that the police were continuing their hunt for the wanted militants, who are believed to be in the surrounding area.
'We need more time to find them, as the search area is vast,' Idham said.
Police and military this year launched a joint operation called Camar Maleo IV with the aim of tracking down the militant group Mujahidin Indonesia Timur (MIT) led by Santoso.
Poso has been a hotbed of religious conflict since 1998, with violence reaching a peak in 2000. While no definite statistics are available, police estimate fatalities were in the thousands, including both Muslims and Christians.
The deadly conflict ended after the signing of the Malino Declaration in 2001 initiated by then public welfare coordinating minister Jusuf Kalla, who is now Vice President.
However, the strife sowed the seeds of terrorism, spawning groups such as MIT, which is thought to have links to international terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiyah and now the Islamic State (IS) group, according to the police.
"Their methods of killing are similar to those employed by IS, such as mutilation of victims," ''Idham asserted. (dan)
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