Counter-terrorism police have grappled with a recent resurgence in homegrown radicalism in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, inspired by extremist group Islamic State.
Police said eight men were arrested on Tuesday in Riau province and one man in South Sulawesi province.
They were alleged to have links to Indonesia’s most high-profile militant network Jemaah Asharut Daulah (JAD) which is loyal to Islamic State.
“They were planning attacks on police stations from the district level all the way to the provincial level,” national police spokesman Rikwanto said of the men arrested in Riau.
He added that the men were suspected of joining a training camp in a neighbouring province where they learned to shoot guns and assemble bombs.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
Detachment 88, the country’s elite counter-terrorism police unit usually steps up surveillance and raids near the end of the year, foiling militant plots targeting New Year’s Eve and Christmas celebrations and popular tourist spots.
Authorities suspect there are hundreds of Islamic State sympathisers in Indonesia, some of whom have travelled to Syria to fight alongside the group.There are heightened concerns over the return of battle-hardened militants as Islamic State loses territory in the Middle East.
Four people were killed when Islamic State-linked militants launched a gun-and-bomb attack in the heart of the capital Jakarta in January 2016.