JakartaPost-Dec 23, 2024
Densus 88, the National Police’s counterterrorism unit, has announced a plan to repatriate 26 former members of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) to Indonesia following the disbandment of the terror group, which was responsible for the deadly Bali bombings in 2002. Densus 88 chief Insp. Gen. Sentot Prasetyo said the ex-JI members selected for the repatriation plan were Indonesians who served as “foreign fighters, 16 of whom are currently in Syria and 10 in the Philippines”. He did not provide additional details about the program. Sentot announced the plan on Saturday in Surakarta, Central Java, where 1,200 people from the city and nearby regions took part in a ceremony, facilitated by Densus 88 and the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), to declare that they were no longer part of the extremist group linked to Al-Qaeda and were committed to its dissolution. The Surakarta ceremony was the last in a series of events attended by thousands of ex-JI members across 21 regions since late June, when more than a dozen leaders announced the organization’s disbandment. They also declared they were leaving their extremist views behind and confirmed their commitment to the Indonesian state and national laws. “The commitment of former JI members is evident in their willingness to abide by the law and facilitate our contact with 11 JI fugitives we have been pursuing for years,” Sentot added. Although he did not identify the fugitives, he said they had handed over any weapons they possessed to Densus 88. BNPT head Comr. Gen. Eddy Hartono applauded the counterterrorism squad’s deradicalization program that led to JI’s self-disbandment. He added that the counterterror agency, along with Densus 88 and related institutions, would provide support and guidance to ex-JI members so they could fully disengage from extremist views and reintegrate into society. Read more at:
