Although from 2000 to 2009 the al-Qaida-linked militant group Jemaah Islamiyyah (JI) was the first perpetrator of bombings in Indonesia, in recent times, outfits affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) have been launching assaults on an virtually continuous foundation. Between January 2016 and March 2021, pro-IS teams had been liable for 13 assaults that precipitated 68 deaths and 122 accidents, to not point out injury to property and public infrastructure. Whereas the varied Indonesian counter-terrorist businesses, together with each the armed f orces and police, and devoted items such because the BNPT and Densus-88, have been energetic in neutralizing the terrorist teams, there appears to be no finish to this scourge. Why is that this so?
Although the JI has been mendacity low because the 2009 bombings in Jakarta, 2020 noticed 30 suspected JI operatives arrested in Indonesia: 22 in Java and eight in Sumatra. Throughout February and March of this 12 months, 22 JI operatives had been captured in East Java, particularly within the metropolis of Malang. These arrests got here after Indonesian counter-terrorist items captured Para Wijayanto, the chief or “emir” of JI, in Bekasi, West Java, in June 2019.
One other important arrest occurred in October 2020 in Lampung, Sumatra, when six JI operatives had been captured, amongst them the distinguished militant Aris Sumarsono (aka Zulkarnaen). A key JI discipline operative and a talented bomb maker, Aris was commander of the Laskar Khos, a specialised army unit for operations and an in depth affiliate of Hambali, who was liable for the October 2002 Bali bombings, and is presently in detention in Guantanamo Bay. Different shut associates of Aris included Dulmatin and Umar Patek, prime leaders of JI throughout the interval 2000-2009. Aris is believed to have been concerned within the Bali bombings in 2002, the 2003 bombing of Jakarta’s J.W. Marriott Lodge, the 2004 bombing of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, and one other assault in Bali in 2005. The primary bombing took 202 lives and the J.W. Marriott Lodge bombing led to 12 deaths. Aris had been on the run since 2003 and his arrest was a significant success for Indonesia’s counter-terrorism businesses.
At the moment, many analysts argue that JI stays essentially the most harmful, organized, and well-armed terrorist group in Indonesia. Its energetic membership, primarily in Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi, is estimated at 6,000. Since 2010, nonetheless, JI is believed to have been in an i’dad, or preparation, section, reasonably than in a section of energetic operations.
That is evident from the 2019 and 2020 arrests. Following the arrest of Para Wijayanto and a few of his shut associates, it turned clear that the JI was energetic in constructing its monetary base by involving itself in reliable companies akin to plantation possession, property brokerage, and working eating places and automotive leases, in contrast to the earlier methodology of armed robberies.
Para Wijayanto, who was sentenced to seven years’ jail in July 2020, was additionally closely concerned in coaching the subsequent batch of JI fighters by sending them to Syria to coach with the pro-al-Qaida group Jabhat Al-Nusra. Some 96 JI operatives underwent army coaching in Semarang alone, with many extra despatched to Syria for fight coaching and expertise. Whereas some JI operatives did die in Syria, many are believed to have returned with a view to be prepared when army operations are launched within the close to future. Curiously, of the 30 JI operatives arrested in 2020 and the 22 in 2021, the bulk had been concerned in both army coaching or fundraising, with solely a small quantity designated for administrative duties.
The JI continues to be motivated by the institution of an Islamic Caliphate in Indonesia. It believes that Indonesia and its secular-oriented leaders have deviated from the promise to offer Islam a particular prominence, as was agreed within the 1945 Jakarta Constitution. Extra importantly, JI believes that Indonesia is more and more anti-Islamic, permitting non-Muslims, each native Chinese language and foreigners, to dominate the financial system to the detriment of Indonesia and its individuals. Indonesia can be mentioned to be intently aligned to the West, which is believed to be anti-Islamic and most the killings of jihadists by Densus-88 are seen as deliberate, on condition that this particular drive, initially dominated by Christians, was arrange with the help of america and Australia.
Whereas JI bides its time, since 2016, IS and its associates have come to pose a extra fast menace, evident from the variety of Indonesians who’ve “migrated” to Iraq and Syria in assist of IS in addition to the expansion of pro-IS associates, essentially the most harmful of which have been Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) and Mujahidin Indonesia Timur (MIT).
The entire 13 terrorist assaults in Indonesia since January 2016 have been carried out by pro-IS associates. Of the greater than 1,200 Southeast Asian fighters who’ve gone to Iraq and Syria since July 2014, the bulk had been Indonesians. This additionally included many members of the family. Professional-IS leaders akin to Bahrumsyah have been adept in the usage of the social media and recruitment movies to attract Indonesians to Iraq and Syria, the place many had been concerned in fight and gained useful coaching in dealing with arms, developed new networks, and had been fortified ideologically. The institution in September 2014 of Katibah Nusantara, a army unit for Malay audio system, testified to the energy and presence of Indonesian fighters in Iraq and Syria.
Following the army defeat of IS within the Center East and the loss of life of its chief, Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi in October 2019, there have been a variety of penalties for Indonesia. First has been the difficulty of “IS returnees” from the Center East, together with these each with and with out fight expertise. Second has been the affect of IS on Indonesia and the rise of pro-IS associates within the nation, the 2 most necessary being JAD and MIT. Third has been the position of IS in inspiring Indonesian jihadists to undertake pro-IS methods and ways as a part of the intention of building an Islamic Caliphate. Lastly, these returnees have the potential to radicalize others, be a part of previous terror teams, set up new ones, plot assaults with their new information, and even launch assaults exterior Indonesia as has occurred within the Philippines.
That is the context during which a husband-wife lone-wolf suicide group blew themselves exterior a Catholic church in Makassar, Sulawesi, on the morning of March 28.
The 2 suicide bombers died with 20 others had been injured within the assault. The church was holding Palm Sunday service, some 5 days earlier than Easter, which marks the date of Christ’s crucifixion.
JAD is believed to be behind the bombing. This group has been energetic in South Sulawesi, being born within the area in 2015. The area additionally has an extended historical past of terrorism, particularly round Poso, the place many terrorist teams are identified to have operated previously, together with Darul Islam, JI, and MIT. Many JAD members have just lately been killed or arrested in Makassar. In January of this 12 months, 20 JAD members had been arrested and two killed by safety forces. Equally, feminine and household suicide bombings, together with youngsters, are a trademark of the JAD, as seen in comparable assaults in Surabaya in Could 2018.
The Makassar bombers are additionally believed to be linked to the January 2019 Jolo bombing in Mindanao, Philippines, equally carried out by a husband and spouse group, during which 22 had been killed with greater than 100 injured. Using operatives from the world of operation is one other JAD characteristic that was manifest within the case of the Makassar bombing. The JAD has additionally focused Christian church buildings previously, as in Surabaya in Could 2018 and Jolo in January 2019. The Makassar bombing is also a revenge assault for the arrest and killing of JAD members in January. Lastly, JAD members are additionally identified to consider that the trail to paradise lies by way of martyrdom.
There may be additionally the difficulty of whether or not JAD and MIT are cooperating in South Sulawesi, particularly at a time when the safety forces have been making an attempt to wipe out the latter during the last two years. Additionally it is believed that many former JAD members could also be returning to South Sulawesi to be engaged in fight operations, partly to battle for MIT or to determine a safe base space (qoidah aminah) within the area, at a time when the Indonesian authorities are preoccupied with COVID-19.
Whereas Aman Abdurrahman the founder and non secular chief of JAD, could also be in jail, the terrorist group can be believed to be working autonomously with native leaders making their very own strategic and tactical choices, which, in flip, makes it troublesome for regulation enforcement businesses to foretell JAD’s subsequent assault.
Although the general scale of the Makassar assault was small in comparison with different iconic assaults in Bali or Jakarta, its significance nonetheless can’t be ignored. It’s a sign that terrorists are nonetheless round, are able to launching assaults, and are able to making improvised bombs that trigger nice injury. So far as South Sulawesi is anxious, the JAD could also be aiming to reignite spiritual tensions within the province. The assault was timed not solely to the run as much as Good Friday and Easter, but additionally simply previous to the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Traditionally, the province has a monitor report of violent relations between Christian and Muslims, particularly within the interval 1998 to 2001, and reigniting this can be one of many goals of the assault.
Although 15 JAD members and their supporters have been arrested because the Makassar assault, one can properly think about that extra arrests are probably, as occurred following the Could 2018 JAD-linked bombings in Surabaya. The JAD community in Makassar and South Sulawesi is probably going being focused, particularly following the sooner spate of JAD arrests in January. In the identical vein, on March 31, a feminine lone wolf attacker was killed when she attacked the Jakarta nationwide police headquarters. She is suspected of being affiliated with the pro-IS JAD.
This will properly provoke extra revenge assaults from JAD members, particularly if the cells are working autonomously, had earlier expertise with armed teams, say in Sabah or Mindanao, or have hyperlinks with MIT, which can be combating for its survival below the management of Ali Kalora, who’s believed to have been wounded in a latest operation.
The Makassar suicide bombing is a reminder that the specter of violent terrorism remains to be very actual in Indonesia. Whereas the nation’s counter-terrorism operations have scored some necessary successes, they’ve by no means been ready totally to extinguish the menace. The far-flung nature of the archipelago, the presence of the “frontier” provinces of Aceh, Sulawesi, and Papua, and the persevering with menace of terrorism within the southern Philippines, the place many extremist and terrorist teams cooperate with their Indonesian counterparts – to say nothing of the distraction of COVID-19 – all recommend that Indonesia shall be slowed down with the specter of terrorism for a while to return.