Indonesia Highlights: 11 Suspected Terrorists in Merauke Linked to JAD, Makassar Cathedral Bombing | Broken Ancient Ceramics Found near Batavia Castle in Jakarta | Two Indonesian Climbers Set New Men’

KOMPAS.com – The Indonesian Police said that 11 suspected terrorists in Merauke are allegedly linked to Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), a terror group that supports the Islamic State extremists.

The police also said that the group is also allegedly linked to the previous attack in Makassar, South Sulawesi during a Palm Sunday last January.

Meanwhile, in Jakarta, some archeological items have been discovered near the Batavia Castle in Kerapu village. The locals hoped that the search for other archeological items will be continued so that the area can become one of the tourist attractions in the capital.

Below are the editors’ picks stories published on Kompas.com:

11 Suspected Terrorists in Merauke Linked to JAD, Makassar Cathedral Bombing

Papua Police chief Inspector General Mathius D. Fakhiri said that 11 suspected terrorists who have been arrested in the Merauke regency are allegedly linked to Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) terror group.

JAD, a terror group that supports the Islamic State extremists, is also allegedly linked to the church attack in the Indonesian city of Makassar, South Sulawesi during a Palm Sunday last January.

“The arrest of the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah terror group is related to the attack in Makassar several months ago,” said Fakhiri in Jayapura on Sunday, May 30.

He said that the suspected terrorists had moved to Makassar, then returned to Merauke and lived there for several years.

Source: https://regional.kompas.com/read/2021/05/30/232836278/11-terduga-teroris-yang-ditangkap-di-merauke-jaringan-jad-dan-terlibat-bom.

Broken Ancient Ceramics Found near Batavia Castle in Jakarta

Kompas.com/Sonya Teresa Some archeological items have been discovered near the Batavia Castle in Kerapu village, Ancol, North Jakarta.

Some archeological items have been discovered near the Batavia Castle in Kerapu village, North Jakarta.

A neighborhood unit head, Suwanto, who only goes by one name, said that some broken ancient ceramics and yellow stone were found by several archeologists of the University of Indonesia in March 2021.

Currently, the archeological items have been brought by the researchers for further study, said Suwanto, who is also assigned as a supervisor in the project.

“The castle has been around for a long time. But, last March, some broken ceramics and yellow stone were found,” Suwanto told Kompas.com on Saturday, May 29.

“This yellow stone is a legacy from the Dutch because in Indonesia we know only red bricks,” said Suwanto.

Meanwhile, he further added, the researchers found out that the ceramics were brought from five countries, including some countries in Europe.

The archaeological items were discovered in two out of the five exploration sites during 14 days. “In the beginning, they dug the sites manually, and then they used heavy equipment which could only be utilized until a certain depth to avoid destruction. Then, they continued to dig it manually again,” he said.

Suwanto hoped that the excavations will be continued again to search for other buried relics. “Residents in this area hoped the project to be continued and if possible, the area can become one of the tourist attractions,” said Suwanto.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/05/30/180002874/broken-ancient-ceramics-found-near-batavia-castle-in-jakarta.

Two Indonesian Climbers Set New Men’s Speed World Record in Salt Lake City World Cup

KOMPAS.COM/KRISTIANTO PURNOMO Two Indonesian climbers, Veddriq Leonardo (right) and Kiromal Katibin (left) during the 2019 Asian Championship in Bogor, West Java on Saturday, November 9, 2019.

Two Indonesian climbers set the men’s speed world record at the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Cup in Salt Lake City, Utah, Saturday, May 29.

Veddriq Leonardo, 24, and Kiromal Katibin, 20, stopped the clock at 5.208 seconds and 5.258 seconds, respectively.

According to the IFSC website, during his very first IFSC World Cup competition, Kiromal’s name started spreading quickly among athletes, media, and officials, as he clocked in unofficial records during warm-up and practice sessions, multiple times.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/05/30/122256974/two-indonesian-climbers-set-new-mens-speed-world-record-in-salt-lake-city-world.