REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Vice President Jusuf Kalla has praised the performance of the Tinombala Operation's task force in paralyzing the Santoso-led terrorist group in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

The Tinombala operation, involving 2.5 thousand military and police personnel, began in January 2016 in line with President Joko Widodo's firm directives to wipe out the terrorist group, which had made Poso a security threat for years.

The Tinombala Operation's task force has neutralized the wanted terror suspect Santoso, who was killed during a gunfight in Poso on Monday.

"We highly laud the police and soldiers, who have conducted a large-scale operation for months to hunt down the terrorist leader," the vice president remarked at the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory in East Jakarta on Tuesday.

Related to the alleged death of Santoso, the leader of the terrorist group in Poso, Kalla said the government was still awaiting the results of the investigation and identification by the relevant parties.

"If it is confirmed that Santoso is dead, then it means we can solve the problem in Poso. However, we are still awaiting a confirmation on the result of a DNA test," Kalla revealed.

Presidential spokesman Johan Budi remarked here on Monday that President Widodo had received a report on a gunfight in Poso, in which terror suspect Santoso was allegedly killed.

Johan said Coordinating Minister for Political, Security, and Legal Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan had reported about the gunfight in Poso that involved the government's Tinombala task force.

Johan noted that during the gunfight, five members of the group had been neutralized, including one bearing similarity to Santoso.

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