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Two suspected terrorists, police officer killed in Poso shootout
On guard: Several members of the police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) guard a car at the scene of a shootout between police and suspected terrorists in Sanginora village, Poso regency in Central Sulawesi on Tuesday
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On guard: Several members of the police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) guard a car at the scene of a shootout between police and suspected terrorists in Sanginora village, Poso regency in Central Sulawesi on Tuesday. The shootout left two suspected terrorists and a Brimob officer dead. (Antara/Bayu) (Brimob) guard a car at the scene of a shootout between police and suspected terrorists in Sanginora village, Poso regency in Central Sulawesi on Tuesday. The shootout left two suspected terrorists and a Brimob officer dead. (Antara/Bayu)
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span class="inline inline-center">On guard: Several members of the police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) guard a car at the scene of a shootout between police and suspected terrorists in Sanginora village, Poso regency in Central Sulawesi on Tuesday. The shootout left two suspected terrorists and a Brimob officer dead. (Antara/Bayu)
A shootout between police and suspected members of a terrorist group in Poso, Central Sulawesi, on Tuesday morning has left two suspected terrorists and one member of police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) dead.
The gun battle took place at around 10:27 a.m in Sanginora village in Poso Pesisir Selatan subdistrict in Poso, four hour's drive from Central Sulawesi's capital city of Palu, Operation Tinombala commander Sr. Comr. Leo Bona Lubis said on Tuesday.
Police believe the dead suspected terrorists were members of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group led by fugitive Santoso, aka Abu Wardah.
The shootout occurred after police were tipped off by local residents that two people had been seen driving around the area in a pick-up carrying food supplies over the past few days, Lubis said.
On Tuesday morning officers conducted spot checks on traffic in the area.
In the course of the operation Brig. Wahyudi Saputra was shot in the neck by the occupants of a pick-up.
"[The police] withdrew a short distance and returned fire. The two suspected members of the MIT were killed inside the vehicle," Lubis told thejakartapost.com.
Brig. Wahyudi was immediately taken to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
His body has been transported to Central Sulawesi Police headquarters in Palu.
Police and Army personnel launched Operation Tinombala in January looking to capture Santoso and dozens of his followers believed to be hiding in the forests of Poso. Santoso has allegedly engineered and led attacks against police officers in the Central Sulawesi area in the past few years.(afr/rin)
