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member of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group has died in a shoot-out with security personnel in the Parigi Moutong regency of Central Sulawesi, reportedly bringing the number of members of the notorious group down to nine.

The man has been identified as Suharyono, aka Yono Sayur, from Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, Operation Tinombala spokesman Adj. Sr. Cmr. Hari Suprapto said on Thursday. He was killed by the operation’s Alpha Team 29 in the area of Salubanga village, Sausu district.

 Security personnel saw seven unfamiliar people looking for food in local people’s plantations near the woods during a patrol, Hari said. After their suspicions were aroused, members of the team fired several warning shots, which the men responded to by throwing several handmade bombs and then running into the woods.

“That’s when the security personnel opened fire, killing one MIT member,” Hari said adding that Suharyono was shot as he was trying to cross a plank over a river.

The shot killed Suharyono while the other six people managed to flee.

From the scene, security personnel confiscated three homemade bombs, a compass, two identity cards with the names of Zakaria and Rajib and some food.

Suharyono’s body was taken to Bhayangkara Police Hospital in Palu close to midnight for identification.

The police’s forensics team reported that the deceased had a round face, curly hear and two tattoos of women on his back and one tattoo on his foot.

“We have shown the photos of his face and tattoos to his family and we are convinced that it is Suharyono, aka Yono Sayur,” Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi said on Friday as reported by Tribunnews.com.

Suharyono has been implicated in several terrorism-related attacks in Poso. He was allegedly the motorcycle driver for the man who shot Rudy when he was the Poso Police chief in 2005.

Suharyono was on the wanted list of MIT members released by police. He kept in hiding under the new leader Ali Kalora who took the baton from the killed leader Santoso, aka Abu Wardah, who died in a gunfight with members of Operation Tinombala in July after an intensive search mission.

Despite taking down Santoso, the operation continues to pursue the remaining MIT members, who are believed to be hiding in several areas in Poso and Parigi Moutong.

Besides Indonesian nationals, 10 Chinese Uighurs had reportedly joined the terrorist group in Poso through several routes. However, according to reports all of them have been killed in the operation.

Launched in January, Operation Tinombala, the largest joint operation involving over 3,500 personnel from the National Police and Indonesian Military (TNI) has the sole purpose of capturing Santoso and his guerillas.

The operation has successfully narrowed the area in which the group can travel freely and blocked supplies from getting to them. The number of MIT members is reportedly down to nine from an initial 45 members, following arrests and shoot-outs with security personnel.

Operation Tinombala is the continuation of Operation Camar Maleo, which was conducted throughout 2015.