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Terrorist Santoso only obedient to IS, video reveals
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Fidelity – Taken from video footage obtained by Operation Tinombala, it shows the East Indonesia Mujahiddin (MIT) terror group’s leader, Santoso, alias Abu Wardah (center), reading out an oath of loyalty to the Islamic State (IS) movement's leader, Abubakr Albaghdadi. (Courtesy of the Operation Tinombala Task Force/Ruslan Sangadji)
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embers of the East Indonesia Mujahiddin (MIT) terrorist group led by Santoso, alias Abu Wardah, have stated they are only obedient to the command of Abubakr Albaghdadi Alhusaini Alquraisy, leader of the Islamic State (IS) radical movement.
The fidelity of the MIT group, currently being pursued by security authorities in Operation Tinombala in Poso, Central Sulawesi, can be seen in a 1.9 minute-long video obtained by the Tinombala task force.
In the video footage, Santoso is seen wearing a white gamis, a kind of Arabic shirt, with a black turban.
The MIT leader stands in the middle of the group with his back to an IS flag held by one of its members. Some members can be seen holding M-16 rifles.
Santoso reads out his pledge of allegiance to the IS movement's leader. Below are the excerpts:
May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be with you
In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful
We are taking an oath to be obedient to Amir al-Mu’minin Abubakr Albaghdadi Alhusaini Alquraisy. We will always listen and be loyal to him, in joy and in sorrow, through good and bad times. And we will continue to uphold the religion of Allah by engaging in a holy war on the path of Allah, with the truth and without any fear but to Allah.
God is Great… God is Great… God is Great
The police suspect that Santoso’s oath-taking procession took place at Gunung Biru, Poso Pesisir, on June 3, 2014.
Separately, Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig.Gen.Rudy Sufahriadi said the joint Indonesian Military and National Police team had continued to pursue Santoso and his men in Poso and its surrounding areas, including Lembah Napu.
The police chief refused to give details on Santoso's last known position, saying that such information must remain confidential for the sake of his personnel's safety in the field.
“Our personnel remain optimistic they can apprehend Santoso and his group. It’s only a matter of time, however, the area’s mountainous geography has made it difficult to navigate, hampering the operation. Moreover, our personnel is limited in numbers,” said Rudy.
The former Poso Police chief said that Operation Tinombala personnel were devising a new strategy in their efforts to capture MIT because several known locations of Santoso had changed.
“We have moved to several locations, which becomes our new focal point to pursuing Santoso. It’s confidential though, we can’t explain it to the public,” said Rudy. (ebf)
