NEWS FOCUS: INDONESIAN POLICE CONTINUING CRACK-DOWNS ON TERRORISTS BY ANDI ABDUSSALAM

Jakarta, May 15 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian police's Densus-88 anti-terror unit has over the past two weeks killed five terror suspects and arrested at least 16 others in crackdowns on newly discovered terror networks in the country.

Police said evidence confiscated during the arrests and the shooting to death of terror suspects indicated that they had planned to attack state and foreign dignitaries at the coming Independence Day celebration next August.

Although notorious top Southeast Asian terrorist leaders Dr Azhari and Noerdin M Top have been eliminated , terrorist cells continue to develop in Indonesia with a target to turn Aceh province as their base in Southeast Asia.

Early last March, the anti terror unit was successful in disclosing the terrorist target to make Aceh as a base in Southeast Asia after they arrested 19 terror suspects in Aceh, West Java and Jakarta early last March.

The arrests led to the disclosure of the hideouts of Dulmatin, a highly-wanted suspected terrorist in terror movements in Java, Ambon, Poso and in the Philippines. Dulmatin and two accomplices were shot dead in separate raids in Pamulang, South Tengerang near Jakarta.

Not more than two months after Dulmantin's raid, anti-terror police were again seized hideouts of terror suspects killing five and arresting at least 16 others over the past two weeks.

On Friday last week, National Police spokesman Inspector General Edward Aritonang said anti-terror police unit had arrested 12 people suspected to be members of a terrorist network holding military-like training in Aceh recently.

"Yes, it's true that arrests have been made in three locations on 12 alleged terrorists," he said. Densus 88 anti-terror unit arrested three of them in Setu, Bekasi, West Java, seven in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, and one in a hotel in Menteng, Central Jakarta and another one in Petamburan, Central Jakarta.

Five days later, police shot dead five suspected terrorists in shootouts in Cililitan, East Jakarta, and Cikampek, West Java. One terrorist suspect was arrested in the shootouts.

Edward Aritonang said in Cililitan, police shot dead three terror suspects. One of them was identified as Maulana while the other two still could not be identified. Maulana who was armed with a revolver was shot dead as he resisted arrest.

"Maulana's two accomplices were dead on their way to the hospital," he said. Maulana had been named a fugitive since his alleged involvement in the terrorist activity in Jantho, Aceh Besar district, in February 2010.

On the same day, police also shot dead two terror suspects and arrested another in the West Java town of Cikampek. One of the slain terrorist suspects was identified as Saptono. He also had been put in the wanted list for his alleged part in the terrorist activity in Jantho, Aritonang said.

Saptono was the younger brother of Jaja, one of terror suspects shot dead in front of Lampeung police precinct in Aceh Besar, sometime earlier, he said.

"Saptono was good at using firearms and knew much about ammunition," he said.

The next day, following the shooting to death of Saptono, police made other arrests in Central Java. Three people were arrested in Solo, Central Java, on May 13, for alleged involvement in terrorism. They are linked to terrorism training activities unveiled in Aceh last February.

"One of them is believed to play a role as a training planner," National Police deputy spokesman Brigadier General Zaenuri Lubis said. The people did not defy the arrest and so no fire had been opened like in the arrest of six alleged terrorists in Cawang, East Jakarta, and Cikampek, West Java on Wednesday, May 12, 2010.

"The arrests in Solo and Sukoharjo were the continuation of arrests made in Cawang and Cikampek," he said.

From them in Solo the police confiscated some weapons and hundred rounds of ammunition. "They were taken to Jakarta that day for investigation," he said.

Documents confiscated from terror suspects indicated that they had planned to attack the Independence Day ceremony next August 17.

Speaking at a press conference here on Friday, Danuri said the police learned about their plan from documents confiscated from terror suspects arrested in Bekasi, West Java, and in Sukoharjo, Central Java, on Wednesday and Thursday.

"They planned to attack all officials attending the ceremony. All the state officials at the event would be killed, including state guests," he said.

For the purpose, the terror group had assigned a suspect named Suhardi alias Usman to take 21 firearms including a grenade launcher. After the attack was successfully carried out and all state officials were killed, they would replace the country's democratic system with a system of their choice.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto who also attended the press conference meanwhile said what the national police chief had disclosed was not fabricated but based on the results of research, study and interrogation of suspects.

In the meantime, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono praised the police performance in the fight against terrorism marked by the arrests of members of terrorist networks in the past two days.

President Yudhoyono viewed the police performance had been good but hoped for constant alertness. "What the police have done is good and deserves appreciation. However the process does not stop here. In the future the police must increase their alertness. Particularly the President said the state must not lose or must not be off guard against terrorism actions," Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha, said.