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Indonesian fighting with IS dies in Syria
A photo purportedly of Salim Rosyidi was suspected to have been taken in Syria
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span class="inline inline-center">A photo purportedly of Salim Rosyidi was suspected to have been taken in Syria. The image was downloaded from Salim's Facebook account. (Kompas.com/Wijaya Kusuma)
An Indonesian citizen has reportedly died in Syria after fighting for the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group for the good part of a year.
Salim Rosyidi, a resident of Kedon village in the Bantul regency of Yogyakarta, died in May last year, Salim's younger brother, who can only be identified by the initial H, told kompas.com on Tuesday.
Salim's death was reported by Ulfah, Salim's wife, to the family after hearing the news from a friend living in Syria.
The brother said Salim went to Syria from Jakarta in October 2014. From Jakarta, he took a flight to Thailand and then to Turkey before finally arriving in Syria.
Before his departure in 2014, Salim told his parents on his plan to fight with IS.
"But our parents did not allow him. They got into debates on this," H told kompas.com, adding that Salim insisted on his plan and departed regardless.
The brothers kept in contact with each other through messaging services while Salim was in Syria.
Salim had studied in several Islamic boarding schools after graduating high school in Bantul, H explained.
After married with Ulfah in 2010, Salim studied in the Islam and Arab Science Institute (LIPIA) in Jakarta, where he worked guarding a mosque and teaching the Koran.
H suspected Salim received radicalism training in Jakarta, saying that he and Salim went to the same Islamic boarding school in Bantul but were never introduced to radicalism there.
Hundreds of Indonesians have reportedly gone to Syria through Turkey's borders to join IS for the so-called jihad movement.
At least 100 Indonesians returned home to Indonesia last year after failing to enter Syria from Turkey.
The National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti said last week that the National Police requested the Immigration Office to bar 308 Indonesians living in Syria from returning home. Police suspected those numbers to have joined IS.
Barring their return was meant as a security measure to prevent disturbances occuring in Indonesia, Badrodin said. (rin)(+)
