I can say this is a new phenomenon.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Some 90 percent of the terror suspects arrested by the Indonesian Police's anti-terror squad over the past week pledged their allegiance to terror group ISIS on online platforms, Indonesian Police’s spokesman, Insp. Gen. Iqbal, stated.

"I can say this is a new phenomenon," Iqbal noted here on late Wednesday.

Interactions among members of the group took place on social media and messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp group and Telegram.

"They communicate, interact, and hold discussions on their ideology," he pointed out.

Iqbal suspected that the group has a large group of members residing in various regions.

"They learnt how to assemble bombs online, which means they are borderless. They can be found everywhere, and we suspect that it involves a large number," he stated.

The police's anti-terror squad Densus 88 had arrested 36 suspected terrorists in a crackdown on October 10-16 after the stabbing attack on Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Wiranto in Pandeglang, Banten, last week.

Among the arrested suspects are two attackers of Wiranto, identified as Syahril Alamsyah, alias Abu Rara, who is believed to be a key figure of Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), and his wife, Fitri Andriana.

"There are 36 suspects. Densus 88 has continued to hunt down all suspects," he remarked.

Related news: Police detain 34 terror suspects in Central Kalimantan

Iqbal remarked that members of the radical group JAD were arrested from different provinces, including North Sulawesi, Jambi, Bali, East Java, Central Java, Banten, West Java, and Central Sulawesi.

The arrested suspects comprised two female police officers, allegedly exposed to radicalism.

"This (the involvement of police personnel) will be a call for us to self-introspect," he pointed out.

Iqbal stated that the police had conducted a massive strategy to arrest and stop the group's terror attack plan.

EDITED BY INE

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Translator: Anita Permata Dewi, Sri Haryat
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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