Four men apprehended in Purwakarta on Sunday for allegedly planning an act of terror during the New Year celebrations are allegedly affiliated with Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), a terrorist organization that supports the Islamic State (IS) group, the National Police have said.
our men apprehended in Purwakarta on Sunday for allegedly planning an act of terror during the New Year celebrations are allegedly affiliated with Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), a terrorist organization that supports the Islamic State (IS) group, the National Police have said.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Rikwanto said on Monday the police were still investigating how the four men were connected to JAD leader Bahrun Naim, who is now waging war with IS in Syria.
He stressed, however, that the four were clearly affiliated with JAD. "It is clear that the four men have an affiliation with JAD," Rikwanto said.
(Read Also: Terrorist suspects arrested in W. Java ‘planned to attack police’)
National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) chief Comr. Gen Suhardi Alius previously said Bahrun-linked terrorists were the most dangerous group in the country.
Rikwanto said police officers found some religious books during the raid on the four men's temporary homestay at a Jatiluhur dam in Purwakarta. He said the foiled attack was to be directed against the police, not civilians.
"For them, the police are thogut," Rikwanto said, adding that terror attacks are sometimes directed against the police because the police are often considered an enemy for foiling planned attacks.
In Islamic theology, the word thogut or taghut refers to those who worship anything except Allah.
The Densus 88 counterterrorism squad on Sunday fatally shot two of the four men and arrested the two others. (bbn)
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