Indonesia Highlights: Indonesian Migrant Workers Returning From Saudi Arabia Suspected of Carrying British Covid-19 Strain to Indonesia | 1 Policeman Dead Following Clashes with Islamic Militants in C

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesian medical authorities have confirmed that the B.1.1.7 strain of Covid-19 were brought to the country, via two migrant workers who returned to Indonesia from Saudi Arabia.

A firefight between Indonesian security personnel, among them the Police’s Mobile Brigade Corps or Brimob and militants from the East Indonesia Mujahidin [MIT] group, killed a trooper from the elite police unit. 

And the Indonesian National Police's equally vaunted Densus 88 counterterrorist police unit nabbed 22 militants in a series of operations in the province of East Java. This and more on Indonesia Highlights:

SHUTTERSTOCK Illustration of Covid-19 in Indonesia

Indonesian Migrant Workers Returning From Saudi Arabia Suspected of Carrying British Covid-19 Strain to Indonesia

The Indonesian Ministry of Health has announced that it has traced the two carriers of the B.1.1.7 Covid-19 strain from Great Britain.

“The two B.1.1.7 cases made its way to Indonesia via Indonesian nationals returning from Saudi Arabia,” said Ministry of Health spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi on Wednesday.

Health authorities in the West Java town of Karawang, the hometown of the two cases, confirmed the Ministry of Health’s findings.

“The two B.1.1.7 cases were identified as 45-year old A and 40-year old M, two Indonesian migrant workers who returne from Saudi Arabia.” said Karawang Health Services head Nanik Jodjana.

“They were among seven people from West Java who tested positive for Covid-19 overseas and were quarentined. However, they tested negative by the time they returned to Karawang.”

“We cannot say for certain which country they contracted B.1.1.7 in, but they definitely got it overseas,” said the spokesperson for the Covid-19 Task Force in Karawang, Fitra Hergyana.

The B.1.1.7 Covid-19 strain was first detected in Great Britain in September 2020, and has spread to 33 countries such as India, Malaysia, and South Korea.

British medical authorities said the mutation is 40 to 70 percent more infectious, and at least 30 percent deadlier, than the original strain from Wuhan, China.

Source:

https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/03/04/024516274/indonesian-migrant-workers-returning-from-saudi-arabia-suspected-of-carrying?page=all#page3. 

Brimob personnel in Central Sulawesi await the remains of Brigadier 1st Class Herlis at the local branch of the Police's Bhayangkara Hospital, following his death in a firefight against Islamic militants in Poso on Wednesday (3/3/2021)

1 Policeman Dead Following Clashes with Islamic Militants in Central Sulawesi 

Indonesian security personnel, including the National Police’s elite Mobile Brigade Corps or Brimob have engaged Islamic militants from the East Indonesia Mujahiddin or MIT in a series of firefights at the Central Sulawesi regency of Poso.

The clashes resulted in the death of one Brimob member.

“The deceased was identified as Brimob Police Brigadier 1st Class Herlis,” said Central Sulawesi Regional Police spokesman Police Grand Commissioner Didik Supranoto on Wednesday.

“He was killed in action near the village of Gayatri in Poso’s highlands, after his patrol engaged in a firefight against MIT insurgents under wanted militant Ali Kalora.”

He added that Herlis’ remains were returned to his home village of Kolaka, following an autopsy to determine his cause of death.

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo have deployed thousands of military and police personnel to Central Sulawesi to carry out a manhunt against Kalora and his men, after they killed a family of four Christians at the Sigi Regency in November 2020.

Indonesian political and religious groups and figures condemned Kalora’s actions. the MIT was known to be affiliated with terrorist groups such as Islamic State and Jamaah Islamiyah.

Source:

https://regional.kompas.com/read/2021/03/03/190613378/kontak-senjata-dengan-mit-di-poso-satu-anggota-brimob-polda-sulteng-gugur. 

PERSDA NETWORK/BINA HARNANS A symbol of the Indonesian National Police's Detachment 88 [Densus 88] counterterrorist unit

Densus 88 Counterterrorist Police Nab 22 Suspected Militants in East Java

The Indonesian National Police announced that the Detachment 88 [Densus 88] counterterrorist police has arrested 22 suspected terrorists throughout the Indonesian province in East Java over the past week.

”20 of the men are part of a Jamaah Islamiyah cell which was known as the ‘fahim group’,” said Indonesian National Police spokesman Brigadier General Rusdi Hartono on Wednesday.

“Densus 88 are currently interrogating the suspects to ensure that the ‘fahim groups’ are dealt with.”

Rusdi added that he has yet to confirm if the suspects will be brought to Jakarta for further questioning.

Densus 88 arrested most of the militants last Friday, February 26, in a series of arrests in the cities of Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Mojokerto and Malang, while two were arrested earlier this week.

Densus 88 added that 12 of the suspects were building bunkers to stockpile bombs and firearms. The counterterrorist unit added that the men were also preparing getaway routes to escape after carrying out terrorist attacks.

Source:

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/03/03/14240491/polri-densus-88-sudah-tangkap-22-terduga-teroris-di-jatim.