Densus 88 arrests 11 terrorists in four provinces

JAKARTA. The police have arrested 11 suspected terrorists from the Harakah Sunni for Indonesian (Hasmi) group in raids in four provinces in Java on Friday night and Saturday.

Officers from the National Police's Densus 88 counterterrorism unit conducted the raids in Jakarta, Bogor, West Java; Madiun, East Java; and Surakarta (Solo), Central Java.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Suhardi Alius told reporters at a press conference on Saturday that officers had confiscated several live bombs, high explosive materials, bomb parts and bomb-making manuals in the raids.

 “The targets of the group were allegedly American embassy offices in Surabaya and Jakarta; Plaza 89, in front of Australian embassy and [US mining giant] Freeport headquarters in Jakarta, and the Srondol Mobile Brigade headquarters in Semarang,” he said.

Suhardi said the first raid was of a house in the Amarta residential housing complex in Madiun around 8 p.m. on Friday, where Densus 88 officers arrested Agus Anton.

Another team then arrested Hasmi leader Abu Hanifah and two suspects identified as Harun and Budianto in Mojosongo, Surakarta, at around 11 a.m. on Saturday, he added.

A third team arrested suspects Emir and Zainudin, in Leuwiliang in Bogor, at around 11 a.m. on Saturday. “We managed to arrest another one, identified as Usman, in Cikere after the Leuwiliang arrests,” Suhardi said.

Finally, the officers from the counterterrorism unit raided houses on Jl. Palmerah Barat II in West Jakarta and in Kebon Kacang, Central Jakarta, arresting suspects identified as Azhar, Herman and Narto.

Suhardi said the police were still investigating whether the Hasmi group was linked to existing terrorist groups. “We hope the people can help us resolve the case,” he said. (The Jakarta Post)