VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mar. 1 - Indonesian Police's spokesman, Brigadier General Rusdi Hartono, revealed that 12 terror suspects lately taken into arrest in East Java Province belonged to the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Jamaah Islamiyah group.

"The group conducting activities is part of Jamaah Islamiyah, and of course, it is affiliated to Al Qaeda," Hartono stated during a press conference at the National Police Headquarters here on Monday.

Several of their activities comprised self-defense training and designing bunkers to manufacture weapons and homemade bombs. Furthermore, the suspects had prepared a weapons storage area and a hideout after conducting terror activities.

"They have also planned to do 'amaliah'," he remarked without furnishing details regarding what he meant by "doing amaliah".

The National Police's Counterterrorism Special Detachment 88 (Densus 88) Team is currently striving to collect further information, he stated.

"Densus is still conducting an in-depth investigation into what is the form and the target. We will convey (the information) later," he noted.

The Densus 88 Team arrested 12 suspected terrorists in East Java Province on Friday (Feb 26). The suspects were identified by their initials as UBS aka F, TS, AS, AIH aka AP, BR, RBM, Y, F, ME, AYR, RAS, and MI. They are believed to be playing different roles in the terrorism network.

The 12 were arrested at different areas: eight in Sidoarjo, two in Surabaya, one in Mojokerto, and another in Malang.

The police seized several pieces of evidence, including 50 nine-mm bullets, a homemade FN pistol, four black and white flags, eight knives, two samurai, machetes, and a bow. (Antaranews)