REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Military (TNI) commander General Gatot Nurmantyo stated here on Friday that he would not impose a military emergency status on Poso district in Central Sulawesi.

"It is impossible that Poso will be declared as a military emergency zone," he said while referring to the elusive leader of the East Indonesia Mujahidin terrorist network, Santoso.

He said joint TNI-Police operations code-named Tinombala in Poso would be led by the police.

"TNI and the Police conduct joint operations with one goal of arresting Santoso and his men. The police will continue to lead the operations," he said.

The police have so far conducted "Camar Maleo I to IV" operations to arrest Santoso and his group's members but Santoso has remained elusive till date.

After the Camar Maleo operations came to an end, the police continued the manhunt in cooperation with TNI through Tinombala Operations.

The operations, which began on January 10, are aimed at arresting Santoso and his group's members.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika