Police and military officers joined the operation headed by Chief of the Central Sulawesi Police Chief Brigadier General Idham Aziz.
One policeman and two members of the Santoso group were killed in a shootout in Sangginora village, South Poso Pesisir Sub-district, Poso District, Tuesday, Gen. Haiti confirmed.
The identities of the two men were unknown and the police still investigated whether they were new or old members of the Santoso group, he remarked.
The incident took place in Sanggginora at around 8 p.m. local time when police stopped a car with two suspected terrorists inside.
Police received an intelligence report about two suspicious people in the village shopping for foodstuff, Sr. Comr Bona Lubis, who led the police operation, said.
The two men believed to be members of the Santoso group resisted police orders for investigation and lifted their guns that led to the exchange of fire.
The police officer killed in the shootout, identified as WS, was shot in the head.
Santoso and his followers are still hiding in the jungles in the Poso mountain.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
