REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Society should be involved in countering the influence of ISIS in Indonesia, as it is not the sole duty of the government and security forces, Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto stated.

Through a press release received by Antara on Thursday, Wiranto informed that the attacks by Maute, an ISIS-affiliated armed group in Marawi, the Philippines, are still ongoing.

The attacks, led by Isnilon Hapilon, are anticipated to not affect Indonesia's security situation, as the distance between Marawi and Davao, an area close to the Philippine-Indonesia border in Mindanao Island, is merely about 300 kilometers by road.

"The territory of southern Philippines is also directly adjacent to the territorial waters of North Sulawesi," Wiranto noted.

Hence, in order to prevent the rising impact of the conflict in Marawi on the country, the government has been engaging the people, especially in North Sulawesi and North Kalimantan, to implement necessary anticipatory measures.

"It is important to involve the local people, as they are the ones who best know the situation in their area," Wiranto pointed out.

He believes that public participation, through the dissemination of information, can also help the government and security forces to comb directly the threat of terror on the field.

The government and security officers, both in North Sulawesi and North Kalimantan, have been intensively conducting sea patrols to tighten security in the border areas.

Moreover, the government needs to increase its vigilance in the face of close relations between terrorist networks in Indonesia and the Philippines.

According to Wiranto, the East Java Mujahidin (MIT) terror group, based in Poso, Central Sulawesi, has links with the Moro Islamist Liberation Front group based in Moro, Southern Philippines. The MIT group is believed to receive the supply of firearms from Anshorut Khilafah, the Philippines.

The central and regional governments as well as the police and military have held a coordination meeting in Manado, North Sulawesi, on Wednesday, (June 14), to discuss the security situation.

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