REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, By: Toas H

Realizing on the threat of terrorist groups could be damage national security and our national interest, the government of Indonesia has been implementing operation Tinombala which has targeted to eliminate Santoso aka Abu Wardah and his notorious terror’s member group.

Until now, approximately operation Tinombala which had been targeted Santoso had entered its third month after being launched in early January to apprehend the terrorist fugitive. Around 3,000 joint personnel from the TNI and police are involved in the operation. The operation was initially planned for two months until March but had been extended for six months by the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, Luhut Pandjaitan, after considering the operation's difficulties in the field to capturing the group.

One of the succeed of Operation Tinombala is Santoso’s group numbers, believed initially to have had numbered 45 members, was now down to roughly 30 after the officers had killed and arrested several of the group's members. Those who had died included Agus Surianto, aka Farhan, and Fahrudin, aka Udin, Santoso's couriers, after a deadly shootout with security officers in Sanginora village, South Poso Pesisir, on Feb. 14. Another member Dodo, aka Fonda Amar Solihin, died in a shootout on Feb. 28. Moreover, from eight Chinese Uighur nationals who had joined the militant group, four had died; Faruk, aka Magalasi Bahtusan, Nuretin, aka Abdul, Joko Uigur, aka Turang Ismail, and Sobron, aka Son Haji. Two others, Kohar, aka Malik, and Abdul, are still on the run. Security officers had also arrested two members alive, Zaenal Effendi and Saad, during  the operation.

Another succeed is police in Poso, Central Sulawesi, announced on Sunday that they have arrested two men in Poso on April 30 for allegedly attempting to join the East Indonesia Mujahidin terrorist group led by Santoso. According to police, the suspects, Dede Supriadi, 40, and Suwardi, 27, intended to meet up with another suspect, Muhammad Ovan Fadlan, who was arrested by the joint policy-military task force Operation Tinombala in Poso on April 27, also allegedly on his way to join Santoso.

According to Operation Tinombala spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Hari Suprapto, Dede and Suwardi spent six days in Palu, staying at two hotels for three nights each. They then moved on to Parigi, where they stayed three days, before entering the forest there. After another three days, however, they ran out of food and water.

"Then they came back to Palu, working as construction workers to save up some money. On May 1, they left again to meet Ovan, but we caught them," Hari said. Currently, the suspects are in Central Sulawesi Police custody for questioning, where they were surprised to met Ovan as well as three more terrorism suspects who had turned themselves in: Saad, Akil and Fakih, according to police.

"Thank God we got caught by the police, so we are not getting deeply involved with Santoso. The information we got from social media is really different from the facts in the field," Dede said.

More Deployment

Meanwhile, The North Sulawesi Police have dispatched a company-level unit (SSK) of Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel as reinforcement for the Operation Tinombala task force deployed under the operational control of the Central Sulawesi Police to pursue wanted terrorist Santoso and his men.

North Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Wilmar Marpaung said the deployment of one SSK of Brimob personnel was based on concerns that Poso in Central Sulawesi remains at threat of terrorism. An SSK consists of 100 personnel.

He added that acts of terror had damaged the nation. Wilmar reminded all Brimob personnel who would be on duty in Poso to stay alert in carrying out their tasks. “You’re not alone in your duty. Working together with Indonesian Military [TNI] personnel, you should avoid egoism as much as you can. This is because what we need is solidity in performing our tasks,” said Wilmar. He hoped that all Brimob personnel dispatched to support Operation Tinombala would not display arrogance and would coordinate with their colleagues and superiors.

Whereas, personnel of the joint Indonesian Military (TNI) and Police operation on capturing a notorious Poso-based terrorist group, lead by wanted terrorist Santoso, aka Abu Wardah, have mapped the suspected location of the group, inside Poso forests in Central Sulawesi. The group are down in numbers and cornered, Central  Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi said.

The troops hunting Santoso's East Indonesia Mujahidin group intensified its search for the group's hideout in Poso forests as they are believed to be behind several attacks against security officers. Under Operation Tinombala, the joint personnel focused their search in Poso's Napu Valley, around three hours from the provincial capital, Palu. Previously the officers had searched Torire Mountain in Lore Peore subdistrict and Talabose Mountain in Central Lore subdistrict. The search area had been expanded to the Wuasa and Sedoa Mountains in North Lore subdistrict. The expansion was made as officers suspected that Santoso's group had dispersed.

The troops must cross the Sopu river, which has a strong current, to enter the forests on Sedoa Mountain. They would also need to pass people's farms before finally entering the woods at the determined coordinates on foot for two days and two nights.

Must be Supported

An operation Tinombala is reflected as the responbility of the Indonesian goverment to tackle terror problem and to guard the souverignty of our country because terror is an extra ordinary crimes so that terror’s group had been common enemies. Therefore, an operation Tinombala must be supported with all national stakeholders.

To handling terror threat is not an enough just only with hard approach such as an operation Tinombala. To reaching a maximum target, deradicalization and disengagement to a former terror’s member who has surrendered need to implement it.

Through deradicalization program, the people of Poso and a former terror’s member could be realized that whatever they had been done before is enough away from the Koran or local wisdom’s values which is knew as our heritage

Meanwhile, through disengagement program a former terror’s group could be separated with their colleagues and they didn’t have any intention to join again with terror’s group because they have a new dream and a beautiful new life along with government’s assistance. However, disenggagement program is an expensive program but these one is believed to carry out efforts to eradicating the next terror’s threat.

    *) The writer is a security and political observer. Born in Medn, North Sumatera and residing in Jakarta.

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