There were six of them. Decisive and measured actions were taken that resulted in the deaths of two terrorist suspects, and four suspects were arrested.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Police's anti-terror squad Densus 88 uncovered a terrorist network, led by Zulkarnaen and Upik Lawangan, in Lampung and arrested six suspects in a two-day operation.

Two of the suspects died in the operation, while a Densus 88 member suffered a gunshot injury, Spokesman of the National Police (Polri) Brig. Gen. Ahmad Ramadhan stated at Polri's headquarters here, Thursday.

Ramadhan said the suspects were members of the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) network that have long been on the police's target.

They were identified by their initials as PS alias JA, H alias NB, AM, and KI alias AS. Two other suspects killed in the operation are NG alias BA alias SA and ZK.

"There were six of them. Decisive and measured actions were taken that resulted in the deaths of two terrorist suspects, and four suspects were arrested," he stated.

The spokesperson for Densus 88 Senior Commissioner Aswin Siregar said the police conducted the operation for two days to dismantle the terrorist group.

"We have uncovered the hideout and arrested the perpetrators of terrorist acts on Tuesday (April 11) and Wednesday (April 12). The operation was quite successful even though there was a shootout between Detachment 88 and the suspects," he stated.

The police initially arrested PS alias JA on Tuesday in Mesuji. They then arrested NG alias BA, the front man of the terrorist group. Leaders of the group -- Zulkarnaen and Upik Lawangan -- were arrested in 2020 after being fugitives for 18 years.

The suspects played their role to hide Zulkarnaen and Upik Lawangan during their run, Siregar stated.

On the second day of operations in Pringsewu District on Wednesday (April 12) that lasted until last night, the police arrested four other suspects: H alias NB, AM and KI alias AS, and ZK.

"Now these four suspects are under intensive questioning by the Densus 88 team," he noted.

One of the suspects, NG alias BA, had been a fugitive since 2015.

Zulkarnaen is part of the Indonesian-based JI group affiliated with Al Qaeda.

He was involved in several terrorist bombings, including the Bali bombing that killed 202 people, and bombings at churches during Christmas and New Years, targeting nearly 20 churches from 2000 to 2001.

Zulkarnaen was also the mastermind behind the bombing of the Philippines ambassador's house in Jakarta in 2000, the Marriot Jakarta hotel bombings in 2003, and the Australian embassy bombings in 2004.

His partner Upik Lawangan, arrested by the Densus 88 Anti-terror squad in Lampung on November 23, 2020, was nicknamed the "professor" for his expertise in making bombs and homemade firearms, both automatic and manual.

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Translator: Laily Rahmawaty, Sri Haryati
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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