Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri holding up a photo of DulmatinThe DNA of a man killed in yesterday's terror raids matches with a sample from the mother of highly-sought terror suspect Dulmatin, a doctor announced on Wednesday. Brig. Gen. Dr. Bambang Ibnu S, who heads Indonesian Police Medical and Health Services, said he was 100 percent certain the man was Dulmatin. Police identified the two other men killed as Ridwan and Hasan Nur, Dulmatin's bodyguards. Bambang said experts identified Dulmatin's body first by distinguishing physical features and existing photos. Then they matched the DNA sample with that of 60-year-old Masniati. Authorities have said they believe Dulmatin and his associates were linked with a terrorist camp in Aceh. A massive operation to hunt down members of the camp is still ongoing.
Detonators Found in Internet Cafe Where Dulmatin Died
Indonesian police said Wednesday they seized three detonators for remote-controlled bombs at the Internet cafe on Jakarta's outskirts where fugitive militant leader Dulmatin was killed this week. National police chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri told reporters that the devices were ready to be used, but refused to say whether any explosives had been found in Tuesday's raid on the Internet cafe in Pamulang. "We found detonators to be used to trigger bombs from a distance," he said. Dulmatin, an Al-Qaeda trained bomb specialist with a 10 million dollar US bounty on his head, was killed by police in Pamulang, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Wednesday, confirming earlier police reports. Danuri also said that 28 suspects and three policemen had been killed in anti-terror raids conducted by security forces in various parts of Indonesia since February 22. He said the raids were targeting Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the Southeast Asian extremist group inspired by Al-Qaeda and blamed for multiple attacks across Indonesia, including the 2002 Bali bombings which killed 202 people. Danuri said police had seized explosives, nine firearms and tens of thousand of bullets, including those suitable for assault rifles such M-16 and AK-47s, in the raids in Aceh, West Java and Jakarta. "The series of raids are not over yet... we will continue our efforts to fight all the terrorist activities in Indonesia. We will never stop," he said.
Terrorists ‘Still a Strong Threat’ to Indonesia
Despite the confirmed death of terrorist mastermind Dulmatin, a resurgent and expanding militant network still posed serious security concerns, experts warned on Wednesday. Andi Widjajanto, a military analyst from the University of Indonesia, said regional terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, blamed for a string of deadly terrorist attacks including the 2002 Bali bombings, appeared to be growing stronger as it was now no longer solely based in Java. “They are recruiting new members outside Java and developing new cells,” he said. “We estimate that there are 300 active JI members spread nationwide with [an additional] 240 released terrorist convicts. This does not include many people who are being trained secretly.” National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri, addressing a news conference earlier on Wednesday, said JI was regrouping despite the fact police had killed or captured more than 400 terrorist suspects since 2002. “JI always reorganizes itself,” Bambang said. “We should remain alert to this threat even though we’ve already killed several of their leaders and captured more than 400 terror suspects.” Bambang said the police believed Dulmatin, who allegedly established a shadowy paramilitary training camp in Aceh, had encouraged raising funds by robbing non-Muslims. JI has in the past used armed robberies to fund its terrorist attacks. Brig. Gen. Surya Dharma, the National Police’s former antiterror chief, told the Jakarta Globe that the recent police raids on militants in Aceh and Java were proof that JI was still a presence and was changing its tactics. He said police had been concerned for some time that JI would adopt the same tactics as Abu Sayyaf, a violent Muslim separatist group based in the southern Philippines, which favors kidnapping for ransom and hit-and-run attacks. Those fears were heightened when it became apparent that Dulmatin, who is closely linked to Muslim separatist groups in the Philippines, returned to Indonesia, Surya said. Andi said Dulmatin’s return was to fill the power vacuum left after JI’s former leader, Noordin M Top, was killed last year. But Noor Huda Ismail, head of the Institute for International Peacebuilding, said the peace deal struck between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government was more likely to have prompted his return. Meanwhile, Andi said three dangerous terrorist suspects still remained at large, namely Upik Lawangga, Umar Patek and Zulkarnaen. Both Umar and Zulkarnean are wanted by the US government for their roles in the 2002 Bali bombings, while Zulkarnean is believed by some analysts to now head JI. “Umar Patek is still on the run; we don’t know where he is,” Andi said. “The latest information has placed Zulkarnaen in Sabah, Malaysia. The third person is Upik Lawangga and he’s believed to be in Poso, Central Sulawesi, developing a new group.” He said that JI had selected Aceh and other places off Java for its bases as part of a “new pattern of terrorism.” Aside from being a former conflict area, Aceh was also suitable as a base as it was near the Malacca Strait, providing a good vantage for both escape and spreading terrorism, Andi said.
Tangerang Terror Raids: A Timeline
The terrorist raids in Pamulang, Tangerang took place less than an hour apart on Tuesday. Here's how they happened.
Raid 1. Multiplus Business Center at Jalan Siliwangi Pamulang, Tangerang
11 am Dulmatin comes to Multiplus to use the internet service, wearing a black jacket. He goes straight to the internet cafe on the second floor.
11.30 am The Densus 88 anti-terror squad arrives. They order other people in the building to flee and proceed to the second floor. Gunshots are heard. Police say Dulmatin was sending an email when he died.
11.45 am Police detain a woman and three children in the building. Their relationship to Dulmatin is unclear.
Noon Police bring a body bag into the building
12.15 pm The body is carried out to a waiting ambulance.
Raid 2. Jalan Setiabudi 15 Pamulang, Tangerang
12.20 pm Police raid a house belonging to a man named Doctor Fauzi. Two suspects, Ridwan and Hasan Nur, are shot as they attempt to flee on a motorbike while allegedly shooting at police. According to National Police Chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri, Ridwan and Hasan were Dulmatin's bodyguards.
12.45 The bodies were taken with two ambulances to National Police Hospital in East Jakarta. Police arrest two more people near the location with the initials BR and SB.
Detonators Found in Internet Cafe Where Dulmatin Died
Indonesian police said Wednesday they seized three detonators for remote-controlled bombs at the Internet cafe on Jakarta's outskirts where fugitive militant leader Dulmatin was killed this week. National police chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri told reporters that the devices were ready to be used, but refused to say whether any explosives had been found in Tuesday's raid on the Internet cafe in Pamulang. "We found detonators to be used to trigger bombs from a distance," he said. Dulmatin, an Al-Qaeda trained bomb specialist with a 10 million dollar US bounty on his head, was killed by police in Pamulang, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Wednesday, confirming earlier police reports. Danuri also said that 28 suspects and three policemen had been killed in anti-terror raids conducted by security forces in various parts of Indonesia since February 22. He said the raids were targeting Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the Southeast Asian extremist group inspired by Al-Qaeda and blamed for multiple attacks across Indonesia, including the 2002 Bali bombings which killed 202 people. Danuri said police had seized explosives, nine firearms and tens of thousand of bullets, including those suitable for assault rifles such M-16 and AK-47s, in the raids in Aceh, West Java and Jakarta. "The series of raids are not over yet... we will continue our efforts to fight all the terrorist activities in Indonesia. We will never stop," he said.
Terrorists ‘Still a Strong Threat’ to Indonesia
Despite the confirmed death of terrorist mastermind Dulmatin, a resurgent and expanding militant network still posed serious security concerns, experts warned on Wednesday. Andi Widjajanto, a military analyst from the University of Indonesia, said regional terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, blamed for a string of deadly terrorist attacks including the 2002 Bali bombings, appeared to be growing stronger as it was now no longer solely based in Java. “They are recruiting new members outside Java and developing new cells,” he said. “We estimate that there are 300 active JI members spread nationwide with [an additional] 240 released terrorist convicts. This does not include many people who are being trained secretly.” National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri, addressing a news conference earlier on Wednesday, said JI was regrouping despite the fact police had killed or captured more than 400 terrorist suspects since 2002. “JI always reorganizes itself,” Bambang said. “We should remain alert to this threat even though we’ve already killed several of their leaders and captured more than 400 terror suspects.” Bambang said the police believed Dulmatin, who allegedly established a shadowy paramilitary training camp in Aceh, had encouraged raising funds by robbing non-Muslims. JI has in the past used armed robberies to fund its terrorist attacks. Brig. Gen. Surya Dharma, the National Police’s former antiterror chief, told the Jakarta Globe that the recent police raids on militants in Aceh and Java were proof that JI was still a presence and was changing its tactics. He said police had been concerned for some time that JI would adopt the same tactics as Abu Sayyaf, a violent Muslim separatist group based in the southern Philippines, which favors kidnapping for ransom and hit-and-run attacks. Those fears were heightened when it became apparent that Dulmatin, who is closely linked to Muslim separatist groups in the Philippines, returned to Indonesia, Surya said. Andi said Dulmatin’s return was to fill the power vacuum left after JI’s former leader, Noordin M Top, was killed last year. But Noor Huda Ismail, head of the Institute for International Peacebuilding, said the peace deal struck between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government was more likely to have prompted his return. Meanwhile, Andi said three dangerous terrorist suspects still remained at large, namely Upik Lawangga, Umar Patek and Zulkarnaen. Both Umar and Zulkarnean are wanted by the US government for their roles in the 2002 Bali bombings, while Zulkarnean is believed by some analysts to now head JI. “Umar Patek is still on the run; we don’t know where he is,” Andi said. “The latest information has placed Zulkarnaen in Sabah, Malaysia. The third person is Upik Lawangga and he’s believed to be in Poso, Central Sulawesi, developing a new group.” He said that JI had selected Aceh and other places off Java for its bases as part of a “new pattern of terrorism.” Aside from being a former conflict area, Aceh was also suitable as a base as it was near the Malacca Strait, providing a good vantage for both escape and spreading terrorism, Andi said.
Tangerang Terror Raids: A Timeline
The terrorist raids in Pamulang, Tangerang took place less than an hour apart on Tuesday. Here's how they happened.
Raid 1. Multiplus Business Center at Jalan Siliwangi Pamulang, Tangerang
11 am Dulmatin comes to Multiplus to use the internet service, wearing a black jacket. He goes straight to the internet cafe on the second floor.
11.30 am The Densus 88 anti-terror squad arrives. They order other people in the building to flee and proceed to the second floor. Gunshots are heard. Police say Dulmatin was sending an email when he died.
11.45 am Police detain a woman and three children in the building. Their relationship to Dulmatin is unclear.
Noon Police bring a body bag into the building
12.15 pm The body is carried out to a waiting ambulance.
Raid 2. Jalan Setiabudi 15 Pamulang, Tangerang
12.20 pm Police raid a house belonging to a man named Doctor Fauzi. Two suspects, Ridwan and Hasan Nur, are shot as they attempt to flee on a motorbike while allegedly shooting at police. According to National Police Chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri, Ridwan and Hasan were Dulmatin's bodyguards.
12.45 The bodies were taken with two ambulances to National Police Hospital in East Jakarta. Police arrest two more people near the location with the initials BR and SB.
