"It is true that at 12.30 Central Indonesia Time just now a firefight broke out during a Tinombala operation," Head of Public Information Bureau of the Indonesia Police Brigadier General Rikwanto said on Tuesday evening.
During the firefight, First Private Yusuf Bahrudin was shot and succumbed to his injuries.
"One TNI member named First Private Yusuf died due to wounds in the chest and back," he said.
He said the soldiers body had been evacuated to the Poso general hospital while the Tinombala task force was still continuing the hunt for the MIT group.
"The task force is still chasing the group. Ten to fifteen people are still left in the group," he said.
He said he believed the group had been under pressure due to shortage of food and ammunition.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
