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The Indonesian National Police’s Densus 88 counterterrorist unit has arrested ten suspected terrorists at various locales in Papua’s Merauke regency.

Merauke Police Department chief Grand Police Attendant Commissioner Untung Sangaji confirmed the news to Kompas.com on Saturday, May 29. “We nabbed the men during sweeps the day before,” he said.

“We believe that the terror suspects were targeting churches and other houses of worship, based on evidence we confiscated. But we managed to keep them from planting bombs by guarding the buildings.” Untung did not specify the weapons or other contraband that the police seized.

The operation is a first in Papua, as the province is better known for a separatist insurgency against Indonesian police and military forces by the Free Papua Movement [OPM] and its affiliates, instead of sectarian militants such as Jamaah Islamiyah and its offshoots in other parts of Indonesia.

Sources:

https://regional.kompas.com/read/2021/05/29/142007478/densus-88-tangkap-10-terduga-teroris-di-merauke-papua. 

https://regional.kompas.com/read/2021/05/29/173544078/10-terduga-teroris-ditangkap-densus-88-diduga-akan-menyerang-tempat-ibadah.