An armed police officer stands guard following a blast at a district police station, that according to authorities was a suspected suicide bombing, in Bandung, West Java province, Indonesia, December 7, 2022.
REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJAKARTA, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Indonesia's counter-terrorism unit has arrested 59 suspected militants including some loyalists of the Islamic State-inspired Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) suspected of planning to disrupt an upcoming election, a unit spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Aswin Siregar, spokesperson for the Densus 88 counter-terrorism taskforce, said the JAD militants were suspected of plotting attacks to disrupt Feb. 14 presidential and legislative elections.
It relates to their main goal which is to cancel the election," he added without giving any more detail of the suspected plotting.
However, security analysts say the militant threat has diminished significantly in recent years, largely because of successful security force operations.
Persons:
Willy Kurniawan, Ansharut, Aswin Siregar, Aswin, Ananda Teresia, Robert Birsel
Organizations:
REUTERS, Rights, Islamic, Islamic State, JI, Thomson
Locations:
Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, Rights JAKARTA, al Qaeda, JAD, United States, Bali