T

he East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group led by Santoso, aka Abu Wardah, is believed to be still receiving logistics assistance from sympathizers in the community, although the amount provided is not as much as it was before Operation Tinombala was launched in 2005 to hunt down the group’s members.

The officer in charge of Operation Tinombala, Brig. Gen. Pol. Rudy Sufahriadi, admits that the 3,000 strong force deployed for the operation has not yet cut off logistics supplies to the MIT, which is hiding out in the forest in Poso regency, Central Sulawesi.

“The vast forests of Poso make it difficult to block logistics supplies,” Rudy said, adding that the terrorist group had currently returned to its previous arena in Poso Peesisir region, a stronghold of MIT sympathizers.

He said indications were that the group was still receiving supplies, one sign being the discovery of the body of an MIT member wearing new clothes.

Rudy, who is also Central Sulawesi Police chief, said that he was studying the patterns of the provision of logistics supplies to the MIT. The group, he said, was feared to have started stealing from locals. Officers also suspect that some sympathizers are still communicating with Santoso.

Spokesperson for the operation, Adj. Sr. Comr. Hari Suprapto, said that members of the MIT continued to decrease in number and only about 21 were estimated to remain. Of them, one is of Uighur ethnicity and three are women.

Santoso is thought to be in his hideout in Lembah Napu in the districts of North Lore, East Lore, Lore Peore and South Lore Selatan.