Indonesian ISIS-Affiliated Leader Killed in Shootout, Police Says

Police officers wanted to display portraits of two terrorist licarolas (top L) and Jakara Madan (bottom L) killed during a gun battle with security forces at a press conference at the central Parigi Mouton police station. Shows wanted poster September 19, 2021, Sulawesi, Indonesia. (Mohammad Taufan / AP Photo)

Jakarta-Indonesian security forces have killed the leader of the terrorist group East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT), which is associated with the ISIS terrorist group, police said on Sunday.

According to a police statement, a joint operation by military and police personnel killed Ali Carola in a gun battle in a village on Sulawesi Island on Saturday afternoon.

Police said another terrorist identified as Jaka Ramadan, also known as Iklima, was shot dead and a search for four other MIT members was underway.

After the attack, an explosive, an M16 rifle, and two machetes were found, along with other evidence of terrorist activity.

Carola became the leader of the MIT after security forces killed her former chief, Santoso, in 2016.

Authorities believed that MIT was behind the brutal killing of four villagers in central Sulawesi in November 2020, but the group did not claim responsibility.

Its former leader, Santoso, was once the most sought after terrorist in Indonesia. Santoso was one of the first terrorists in Indonesia to pledge allegiance to ISIS.

University of Indonesia terrorist analyst Ridwan Habib said the Sulawesi-based MIT group suspected that fugitive members would continue to fight security forces, but were unlikely to survive the death of their leader. rice field.

“Some of their ideologies are seeking death because they believe that death will take them to heaven. They will also seek death because their leaders have died,” he said. I told Reuters. “I don’t know if it will be rebuilt. [of MIT] Or a new leader has been elected. “

Police arrested 53 militants suspected of planning an attack on Indonesian Independence Day last month.

The most deadly terrorist attack in the country occurred on a tourist island in Bali in 2002, with bombers killing 202 people, most of them foreign tourists.

Epoch Times staff contributed to this report

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