ast Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) guerillas are surrendering one by one after their leader, Santoso, was killed in a shoot-out in Poso, Central Sulawesi, on July 18.
An MIT member, identified as Salman, aka Opik, from Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, reportedly surrendered to the Operation Tinombala task force on Sunday afternoon, following the surrender of another Santoso follower, identified as Jumri, alias Tamar, on Friday.
“He [Salman] gave himself up to a joint force comprising personnel of the National Police’s Densus 88 [counterterrorism squad] and community police [Polmas] from Masani village in Poso Pesisir,” Operation Tinombala task force spokesperson Adj.Sr.Comr. Hari Suprapto said on Sunday.
He said that before Salman surrendered at 1 p.m. local time, the wife of Samil, aka Nunung, another MIT member who had previously surrendered, contacted a Polmas member, Chief Brig. Cakra, saying that her cousin Salman wanted to surrender.
(Read also: Another MIT member surrenders, three more arrested)
After receiving the information, the police officer coordinated with Densus 88 personnel in Tamanjeka village. They later approached Samil’s parents at their house to confirm the information.
“They revealed that Salman was at the Mati-Mati River,” said Hari, quoting Furkon, one of Samil's family members.
The Densus 88 team then went to the Mati-Mati River and met Salman in a hut. The terrorist suspect was later taken to the Poso Police office, where he underwent a checkup. The Operation Tinombala task force has yet to question Salman. (ebf)
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