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Indonesia monitors Syria developments amid concerns of IS regrouping
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Smoke rises over the Syrian town of Ras al-Ain, as seen from the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, on Oct. 15. (Reuters/Stoyan Nenov)
I
ndonesia is monitoring the situation in northeastern Syria closely amid concerns that Indonesian Islamic State (IS) group fighters might flee home or regroup, though Indonesian authorities have yet to confirm reports about their possible escape.
National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) head Comr. Gen. Suhardi Alius said the government was on high alert and communicating with partner countries about developments in Syria after Turkey began an offensive on Oct. 9 across the Syrian border.
“We are closely following all developments [in Syria]. This issue was also discussed at a meeting with global security agencies in Sochi, Russia, which was also attended by the United Nations,” he said recently.
Suhardi was in Russia to attend the 18th conference of intelligence, law enforcement and security service heads of foreign partner agencies of the Russian Federal Security Service, which began Wednesday.
“We cannot underestimate [the ability of IS fighters to escape], even though the information circulating in the media hasn't been verified,” he said.
Just days after United States President Donald Trump's Oct. 6 decision to withdraw forces from two posts in northeastern Syria, Turkey launched a cross-border operation against Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters.
The Turkish assault prompted alarm that it could allow IS militants to escape Kurdish-run prisons in northern Syria and regroup. Ankara, however, dismissed those concerns, saying that its objective was to clear its southern frontier region of the YPG, which it views as a terrorist organization, and to form a “safe zone” 30 kilometers into Syrian territory where it wants to settle millions of Syrian refugees, Reuters earlier reported. Ankara has pledged to take responsibility for IS militants within the safe zone, but said it would not be accountable for others.
