Uploading a Bomb Making Tutorial on Social Media, Suspected Terrorist Arrested in NTB
The National Police’s Special Detachment 88 Anti-terror has arrested two suspected terrorism offenders from the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah or JAD group in West Nusa Tenggara. One of the suspected terrorists has uploaded a video tutorial on making bombs and homemade firearms on his social media account.
Head of Public Information Bureau of Public Relations Division of the Indonesian National Police Brigadier General (Pol) Ahmad Ramadhan, stated on Sunday (16/7/2023), that the Police’s Special Detachment 88 Counterterrorism successfully arrested two suspected terrorists in two different locations on Friday (14/7/2023). The suspects are identified as HAS aka UL and OS aka O. Both are believed to be members of the same group known as Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD).
HAS alias UL who was arrested in Selong, East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) on Friday night. Not long after, OS alias O was arrested by Densus 88 Anti-terror Police at the Sheet Harbor Pier, West Lombok Regency, NTB.Ahmad said that, although they were both members of JAD, the two of them had different roles in the terrorist organization affiliated with ISIS. The suspected terrorist HSN alias UL played a role in recruiting members of JAD Bima with the initials H in 2015-2017. Currently, H is on the wanted list (DPO). The suspected terrorist HSN alias UL also has Daulah Islamiyah teachings.
The suspected terrorist OS alias O is a member of the Anshor Daulah East Lombok who actively participates in meetings or studies at the Aik Berik Quran House and at the HSN alias UL house. Since August 8, 2022 until now, OS alias O has been actively discussing Daulah Islamiyah in the WhatsApp group conversation on Kaffah’s Islamic studies as well as on social media through his Facebook account named Hamzah.
“In his post, OS alias O uploaded a video tutorial on making bombs and homemade firearms and had plans to move to Syria,” said Ahmad.
Assemble the bomb
Separately, terrorism observer from Malikussaleh University in Aceh, Al Chaidar Abdurrahman Puteh, stated that from his observations so far, the ability and capacity of JAD members to create bombs cannot yet match those of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) members. Based on the suicide bombing incident carried out by a JAD member, it is evident that their ability is only limited to creating low-explosive bombs.”If what is made by JAD is generally low-explosive bombs, only for suicide bombs. In addition, there are no engineers or chemists in JAD who have talent in that field,” said Al Chaidar.”
According to Al Chaidar, to make high-explosive bombs requires great skill and patience. One of the leaders from the JI group who was arrested by Densus 88 Anti-terror Police at the end of 2020, namely Upik Lawanga, had such expertise. He is the architect of various acts of terror and has high skills in making bombs.
Upik Lawanga, according to Al Chaidar, did not simply acquire knowledge about bomb-making from Azahari, an engineer who was also the mastermind behind various terrorist acts in the 2000s. Prior to receiving transfer of knowledge from Azahari, Upik had undergone training in bomb-making in Malaysia. JI once had an academy in Afghanistan that taught bomb-making and its instructors were bomb-making experts.Regarding the second arrest of suspected terrorists in NTB, according to Al Chaidar, that region is traditionally the origin of terrorists. For example, most members of the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) who operate in Poso, Central Sulawesi, originate from NTB who migrated to Poso.
According to Al Chaidar, tackling terrorism, including deradicalization in the NTB region, requires special attention because many suspected terrorists have been arrested there or originate from there. This shows that the claim of success of the deradicalization program there is not proven. “Experts indeed need to create a special deradicalization program to be implemented there,” he said.
Source » kompas.id
