Jakarta, (Antara) - The Tinombala Operation to arrest Santoso, the leader of a militant group in Poso, Central Sulawesi, has finally made a great success in paralyzing the fugitive terrorist leader.
Involving more than 3,000 military and police personnel, the Tinombala Operation was formed in January 2016 after a strict orders of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to wipe out the terrorist group which has made Poso a security threat for years.
Most of Poso's local resident thought that Santoso and his gang were a kind of hero and scary enemy, but now they can breathe a sigh of relieve after the Tinombala Operation has paralyzed Santoso.
During a shootout in Poso on Monday evening between Tinombala Operation task force and terrorist group, two terrorists were killed and their bodies were evacuated to Bhayangkara Public Hospital in Palu on Tuesday for further examination.
Based on the examination, police assured that one of the bodies was Santoso alias Abu Wardah, and the other was the terrorist group member Mochtar.
Even the National Police Chief General Tito Karnavian said he believed that the dead was Santoso.
"From the description of his face and the other traits, several witnesses who are familiar with him said he is Santoso," Tito remarked at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday.
In the meantime, Vice President Jusuf Kalla has praised the performance of the Tinombala Operation's task force in paralyzing the Santoso-led terrorist group in Poso, Central Sulawesi.
The Tinombala Operation's task force has neutralized the wanted terror suspect Santoso, who was killed during a gunfight in Poso on Monday.
"We highly laud the police and soldiers, who have conducted a large-scale operation for months to hunt down the terrorist leader," the vice president remarked at the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory in East Jakarta on Tuesday.
Related to the alleged death of Santoso, Kalla said, "If it is confirmed that Santoso is dead, then it means we can solve the problem in Poso."
Presidential spokesman Johan Budi remarked that President Widodo had received a report on a gunfight in Poso, in which terror suspect Santoso was killed.
Johan said Coordinating Minister for Political, Security, and Legal Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan had reported about the gunfight in Poso that involved the government's Tinombala task force.
Johan noted that during the gunfight, five members of the group had been neutralized, including Santoso, the terrorist leader.
But it does not mean that the Tinombala Operation will come to an end because Santoso has been killed.
National Police Public Relations Division Chief Inspector General Boy Rafli Amar said the Tinombala Operation will be continued, even though the leader of the East Indonesia Mujahidin terrorist leader Santoso has been killed.
"Tinombala Operation will still be continued to hammer uprising followers of Santoso, and to anticipate the emergence of the new seeds of terrorism," Amar said.
Central Sulawesi Police Spokesman Brigadier General Boy Rafli Amar said Santoso and his men had been given time to surrender following indications that they have been divided and were no longer solid after being pressured further.
Police have also conducted an approach to the group through local religious figures, he said.
The chief of the Tinombala Operation task force, Senior Commissioner Leo Bona Lubis, said that the number of the group members led by Santoso alias Abu Wardah has dropped to only 25 and one of them is from Uyghur, China.
Some 11 Uyghurs from the Chinese province of Xinjiang had reportedly entered Indonesia to join the group, but five of them have been killed, while five others were arrested, and another one was still with the terrorist group led by Santoso.
On April 24, the Tinombala Operation Task Force had shot death a member of the East Indonesia Mujahidin group led by Santoso alias Abu Wardah in Poso, Central Sulawesi.
The victim identified by the initials MF was found to be a foreigner from Uyghur, China. MF was killed after he attacked a member of the task force with a machete.
Even during the past Idul Fitri holidays all the personnel involved in the Tinombala Operation in Poso, remained on duty, according to the chief of the Central Sulawesi police command, Brigadier General Rudy Sufahriadi.
He said no one at the time was allowed to take leave, and all of them had to remain in their posts except those who were ill.
Sufahriadi appreciated the services of all Tinombala Operation personnel from the police force as well as the military for their spirit and sincerity in carrying out their duties for the sake of the nation and the state.
During the Idul Fitri holidays they were still in forests and remained there during Lebaran and also at other posts during the operation.
To support the military and police personnel in Poso to track down the members of the terror group led by Santoso, he explained that he deliberately held Eid prayers along with a number of Tinombala Operation personnel and religious figures in the village of Tokorondo in the sub-district of Poso Pesisir.
He hoped that the operation would run as planned and they will be able to catch Santoso and 20 of his followers who were still hiding in the woods.
He appealed to Santoso and his followers to surrender and assured they and their families would be treated well, but now Santoso has been killed.(*)
