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Helicopter crash not related to terrorists: Authorities
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This Army helicopter was used by Central Sulawesi Tadulako 132 Military Commander Col. Saiful Anwar and his entourage when they coordinated with troops in the field at Napu Valley to discuss the pursuit of Indonesia's most wanted terrorist Santoso, aka Abu Wardah. The helicopter was reportedly struck by lightning when flying from Napu back to Poso and crashed in Pattiro Bajo village in Poso Pesisir Selatan subdistrict on Sunday. All 13 people on board the helicopter died at the scene. (thejakartapost.com/Ruslan Sangadji)
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uthorities say that a fatal helicopter crash in Poso, Central Sulawesi, in which 13 soldiers were killed, was purely an accident and had no relation to a terrorist group lead by terror fugitive Santoso, whom security officers are pursuing.
It was impossible that the Bell 412 Army helicopter crashed in Pattiro Bajo village, Poso Pesisir Selatan district, on Sunday due to a terrorists attack, Central Sulawesi Governor Longki Djanggola said on Monday.
Suspicions rose that Santoso, aka Abu Wardah, was behind the crash as the joint personnel of Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police were pursuing him and his followers in the East Indonesia Mujahidin terrorist group in Poso.
"There was no such thing. There is no need to fabricate the cause of the incident as if it was shot down," he told thejakartapost.com.
The crash site is located far from the location believed to be the hiding place of Santoso, Longki added.
The helicopter carrying 13 TNI officers and soldiers crashed in bad weather on Sunday, killing everyone on board, including Central Sulawesi Tadulako 132 Military Commander Col. Saiful Anwar and his entourage. The accident occurred when the helicopter attempted to land at Kasiguncu Airport in Poso after flying in from Napu Valley.
Saiful was monitoring Poso as part of his duty as commander of the Operation Tinombala task force, which was assigned to track down Santoso. He went to Napu Valley to discuss the pursuit of Santoso with troops in the field.
"The military commander [Saiful] and other soldiers died while carrying out their duty to protect the state's integrity," Longki said.
Separately, National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti also asserted that the crash was not related to terrorism.
"There was no attack. We assure that it was not an attack because it was not a terrorism prone area. The accident took place in a residential area close to the airport," he told journalists at the National Police headquarters on Monday.
The helicopter was being used in Operation Tinombala. The TNI is investigating the cause of the accident, he said.
Tinombala, which was launched on Jan. 10, was to end on March 9 but was extended for another two months as Santoso had not been captured, Badrodin said, adding that the accident would not halt the operation.
Poso landscape
Newly installed National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) chief Insp. Gen Tito Karnavian said Poso's mountainous and forested terrain had hampered the hunt for Santoso, which had resulted in the operation being extended.
Besides carrying out the operation by deploying armed soldiers and police personnel, the government is also focusing on a soft approach with Santoso's alleged supporters in Poso to help capture the notorious terrorist.
He expressed confidence that the joint operation would succeed in the hunt for Santoso and his followers in the East Indonesia Mujahidin group.
"I believe [the personnel] are competent as they have sufficient mapping of the locations and have mastered the area," Tito said, adding that the Santoso group had shrunk to around 30 people. (rin)
