T

he National Police have been unable confirm the death of Indonesian militant Bahrun Naim, believed to be fighting in Syria, amid social media posts reporting his demise.

It is believed that news of Bahrun’s death was spread on social media by members of terrorist networks in Indonesia or abroad, said National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian.

Bahrun reportedly died in Abu Hammam, Syria, on Nov. 30, during a fight against the Syrian army.

“Police must prioritize [news] from accurate, official sources, such as from Interpol personnel that have access [to Syria],” Tito said on Tuesday as reported by tempo.co.

The National Police’s antiterrorism squad Densus 88 has also been unable to confirm the accuracy of the reports.“He could be dead, or not; it could be a trick, to stop our pursuit [of Bahrun],” Tito added.

Bahrun was among dozens of Indonesians believed to have left the country for Syria to join the Islamic State (IS) movement.

Bahrun was also suspected of being the mastermind of a gun-and-bomb attack in Jakarta in January last year, which left eight people dead, including four terrorists.