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Santoso dead, witness confirms
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East Indonesia Mujahidin terrorist group leader Santoso aka Abu Wardah (rightp) holds a rifle, flanked by his confidant Basri aka Bagong. (thejakartapost.com/Tinombala Operation Task Force)
A
witness confirmed on Tuesday that one of two people killed during a shootout in Poso, Central Sulawesi, on Monday was Santoso aka Abu Wardah, the leader of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group.
A witness was taken into a room by a team at the Police Hospital in the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu in order to identify Santoso.
After just a couple of minutes observing the body, he confirmed that it was Santoso.
Operation Tinombala commander Sr. Corm. Leo Bona Lubis said that from physical observation, the two corpses were those of Santoso and Muchtar, a member of the group.
Two alleged terrorists were shot dead on Monday evening by members of Alpha 29, an Operation Tinombala taskforce team, in Poso.
Operation Tinombala began in January with the goal to of capturing Santoso and his guerillas, who are hiding in the mountainous forests of Poso.
The operation involving over 3,500 joint personnel has narrowed the group’s area and blocked their supplies. Santoso's followers are reportedly down to 14 from an initial 45 members, following arrests and shootouts with security personnel.
Operation Tinombala is the continuation of Operation Camar Maleo, which was conducted throughout 2015. (bbn)
