Who thought the Islamic State (IS) would target Indonesia? This country with the world’s largest Muslim population, peaceful and moderate, non-interfering and non-controversial, had generally been able to steer clear of terrorist networks. Nor was the country a recruiting ground for extremist groups for a number of reasons. But the deadly coordinated attacks in Jakarta on Thursday that left five attackers and two other people dead, claimed by the IS, has shattered this sense of security. Facing heat in its heartlands – Syria and Iraq – the Islamic State is desperately struggling to keep itself relevant. The targeting of a country like Indonesia is a sign of this desperation. The fact that the attack happened in broad daylight on a busy street lined with shopping malls, top hotels, and foreign embassies shows terrorists wanted to create maximum shock and terror.
The attack shows that the IS terrorists have infiltrated the country and established a network, even if small, which was confirmed by the national police chief Badrodin Haiti. “The planners, financiers, and supporters that provide (explosive) materials, assemble the bombs, facilitate accommodations and vehicles etc... of course this is the work of a team that could be big or small. This obviously was not conducted by five men, this takes teamwork,” he said. The authorities are suspecting the role of what is called Katibah Nusantara, a faction of the ruthless Islamic State group which is made up primarily of Malay-speaking Indonesians and Malaysians.
This is Indonesia’s worst terror incident in seven years. Two of the victims were a Canadian and an Indonesian man. Two dozen other people were wounded -- three foreigners, six police officers and the rest Indonesian civilians.
The government of President Joko Widodo must launch a crackdown on terrorists and crush their networks. Past governments have proven their ability to do this. Indonesia suffered several large bomb attacks by Islamic radicals between 2000 and 2009, but a subsequent security crackdown weakened the extremist networks, and there had been no major attacks since 2009. Jakarta needs to coordinate with other governments in the region, especially Malaysia. With the terrorists looking for a new haven and more recruits, poor countries might look easy targets.
The IS has been busy spreading its networks. The group already has affiliates in Libya and Nigeria, and has targeted a host of other countries like Yemen, Somalia and Afghanistan. Under growing pressure in Iraq and Syria from the US-led bombing campaign, the extremists are now spreading its tentacles into more regions.
Jakarta must crush the terrorists with an iron hand. The IS is posing a huge threat to the security of the world, especially the Islamic countries.
Who thought the Islamic State (IS) would target Indonesia? This country with the world’s largest Muslim population, peaceful and moderate, non-interfering and non-controversial, had generally been able to steer clear of terrorist networks. Nor was the country a recruiting ground for extremist groups for a number of reasons. But the deadly coordinated attacks in Jakarta on Thursday that left five attackers and two other people dead, claimed by the IS, has shattered this sense of security. Facing heat in its heartlands – Syria and Iraq – the Islamic State is desperately struggling to keep itself relevant. The targeting of a country like Indonesia is a sign of this desperation. The fact that the attack happened in broad daylight on a busy street lined with shopping malls, top hotels, and foreign embassies shows terrorists wanted to create maximum shock and terror.
The attack shows that the IS terrorists have infiltrated the country and established a network, even if small, which was confirmed by the national police chief Badrodin Haiti. “The planners, financiers, and supporters that provide (explosive) materials, assemble the bombs, facilitate accommodations and vehicles etc... of course this is the work of a team that could be big or small. This obviously was not conducted by five men, this takes teamwork,” he said. The authorities are suspecting the role of what is called Katibah Nusantara, a faction of the ruthless Islamic State group which is made up primarily of Malay-speaking Indonesians and Malaysians.
This is Indonesia’s worst terror incident in seven years. Two of the victims were a Canadian and an Indonesian man. Two dozen other people were wounded -- three foreigners, six police officers and the rest Indonesian civilians.
The government of President Joko Widodo must launch a crackdown on terrorists and crush their networks. Past governments have proven their ability to do this. Indonesia suffered several large bomb attacks by Islamic radicals between 2000 and 2009, but a subsequent security crackdown weakened the extremist networks, and there had been no major attacks since 2009. Jakarta needs to coordinate with other governments in the region, especially Malaysia. With the terrorists looking for a new haven and more recruits, poor countries might look easy targets.
The IS has been busy spreading its networks. The group already has affiliates in Libya and Nigeria, and has targeted a host of other countries like Yemen, Somalia and Afghanistan. Under growing pressure in Iraq and Syria from the US-led bombing campaign, the extremists are now spreading its tentacles into more regions.
Jakarta must crush the terrorists with an iron hand. The IS is posing a huge threat to the security of the world, especially the Islamic countries.
