'Laskar Jihad' agrees to leave, surrender weapons<\/p>\n
BOGOR (JP): Some 3,000 volunteers of the Laskar Jihad (Jihad
\nForce) agreed on Thursday to surrender their weapons and vacate
\ntheir military-style training camp at the Munjul village of
\nKayumanis in Tanah Sareal District here.<\/p>\n
The agreement was reached during a meeting between Jihad Force
\ncommander Jaffar Umar Thalib and Bogor Regional Police chief Col.
\nEdi Darnadi at police headquarters on Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\"As we are not a group of hoodlums, we will voluntarily
\nsurrender all of our weapons to the police,\" Jaffar told a media
\nconference at the headquarters.<\/p>\n
Jaffar refused to go into detail about the agreement, telling
\njournalists to confirm the details of the meeting with the police
\nchief.<\/p>\n
Edi told journalists at the headquarters the group had also
\nagreed to leave their camp immediately.<\/p>\n
\"The Laskar Jihad members are not Bogor residents. They have
\nagreed to immediately leave the Munjul village and return to
\ntheir hometowns,\" Edi said.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, Edi told the media the Bogor authorities
\nhad ordered the group to leave the village within 24 hours.<\/p>\n
\"Those who have joined the jihad training must return to their
\nhometowns. Any resistance or refusal will result in action from
\nthe police,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Edi said the police had deployed five armored vehicles and
\nofficers from the elite Mobile Brigade in Kedung Halang, some 300
\nofficers from the Bandung Police and riot officers from Bogor to
\nensure the group handed over their weapons and left the area. \"We
\nare also cooperating with the local military command,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"I received complaints from locals that Laskar Jihad's
\nmilitary-style training terrified and disturbed them.<\/p>\n
\"Some roads in the area were closed, forcing local residents
\nto travel longer distances to go to and from their homes,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Permission<\/p>\n
A number of residents told The Jakarta Post the Jihad Force
\nhad also cut down trees in the area without permission.<\/p>\n
\"Cibadak River has been polluted because (the group) uses the
\nriver for sanitation, while locals use the river water for
\nwashing. We just want leaders of the Jihad Force to understand
\nall these complaints and to leave the area as soon as possible,\"
\nEdi said.<\/p>\n
When they first arrived in the area, the group asked for
\npermission to organize sports activities. \"Bogor is closed for
\nsuch activities,\" according to Edi.<\/p>\n
Members of Laskar Jihad Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah have been
\ntaking part in the military-style training since April 6. As many
\nas 3,150 Muslim youths took part in the training, which was
\norganized on a seven-hectare plot of land belonging to the Al
\nIrsad Foundation chaired by Hilal Thalib.<\/p>\n
The group announced the youths would leave for Maluku on April
\n23 to aid Muslims affected by communal clashes in the province.<\/p>\n
The group's chairman, Ayip Syarifuddin, earlier said there
\nwere plans to deploy 10,000 volunteers to Maluku.
\n(21\/ylt\/sur\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/laskar-jihad-agrees-to-leave-surrender-weapons-1447893297",
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