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.