100 jihad fighters arrested in Ngawi
100 jihad fighters arrested in Ngawi
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police in East Java arrested on Sunday more than 100 members of a
religious militant group in the town of Ngawi and confiscated
dozens of weapons, including bombs, handguns and bullets.
They said more arrests would be made following raids carried
out by members of Laskar Jihad (Holy Warriors) on gambling
centers and nightspots in Ngawi on Thursday and the abduction of
a local leader of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).
The situation in Ngawi returned to normal yesterday after
troops and police were deployed to the town.
Central Java Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sumarsono said the
situation in Ngawi was fully under control. "Soon after we
received news of the disturbances, we deployed troops from the
town of Sragen in Central Java to help prevent further violence
from recurring," he said.
He said his members had arrested 38 members of Laskar Jihad
from Magelang, Yogyakarta and Solo, who were intending to travel
to Ngawi to assist their colleagues.
Adj. Sr. Com. Didik T. Prijandono, secretary of East Java
police detectives, was quoted by Antara as saying security forces
on Sunday raided the Islamic Community Forum (FUI) office, which
served as the local headquarters of Laskar Jihad, confiscating 10
home-made bombs, 50 knives and machetes, a handgun as well as 18
bullets.
"We failed to arrest other Laskar Jihad members, who were
intending to enter Ngawi, because they turned back before we were
able to capture them," Didik said. "We will coordinate with
Central Java Police to hunt them down."
On Saturday morning, Laskar Jihad kidnapped the local branch
leader of PDI Perjuangan Yuwono Susatyo, whom the extremist group
had accused of encouraging his supporters to attack the home of
militant FUI head Muhyi Effendi.
The whereabouts of the abducted activist remains unknown.
Laskar Jihad claim they handed him over to the police, but PDI
Perjuangan activists said he was not with the authorities.
Witnesses said Yuwono was dragged from his house by a number
of people brandishing machetes and other sharp weapons, who later
stabbed him.
Responding to the incident, Minister of Religious Affairs Said
Agil Al Munawar urged Muslims on Sunday to calm down and listen
to their conscience during Ramadhan.
He said jihad is allowed in Islam as long it is in line with
universal norms. "It should be carried out with rational minds,
not pure emotion," he was quoted by Antara as saying in Semarang,
Central Java.
Laskar Jihad have been conducting raids across towns and
cities in Java in an attempt to close down entertainment spots
and gambling dens during Ramadhan.
The extremist group has attracted attention for sending
thousands of fighters to the Maluku islands and to Central
Sulawesi, both plagued by intermittent religious unrest between
Muslims and Christians.