Indonesian police arrest 8 suspected militants, part of a banned extremist group with al

PALU, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s elite counterterrorism police arrested eight suspected militants in recent days believed to be part of a new cell linked to Jemaah Islamiyah, an al-Qaida-linked group, authorities said Saturday.

Police conducted raids in Central Sulawesi province between Tuesday and Thursday, said Agus Nugroho, the provincial police chief, adding that five suspects were arrested in the city of Palu, two in Sigi, and one in Poso which is a known extremist hotbed.

Two laptops, several cellular phones and documents, including jihadist books were seized and suspects were being interrogated, Nugroho said.

National Police spokesperson Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko said the arrests were the result of information obtained from 59 suspected militants detained in Oct. 2023.

“(The eight) all actively participate in organization activities, particularly in military-style training and collecting funds for alleged plans of terror acts,” Andiko told reporters at the National Police headquarters in the capital, Jakarta. He added that convicted leaders of the group and veteran fighters in Afghanistan were recruiting and training new members.