Indonesia’s Jemaah Islamiah forms hit squad

SINGAPORE: Southeast Asian militant network Jemaah Islamiah has formed an assassination squad to attack police, prosecutors and judges, a Singapore newspaper said on Monday, citing an Indonesian official.

Ansyaad Mbai, head of the anti-terrorism division at Indonesia’s security ministry, said the group planned to target a list of “infidels” including the rector of a Christian University and an official at the Attorney-General’s Office in central Java, the Straits Times reported.

Officials uncovered the assassination plans after a series of raids in Java last month, when investigators found charts detailing Jemaah Islamiah’s new structure, as well as a large cache of arms including M-16 rifles, the paper said.

“This has never happened before. These M-16s are not hidden in the forests but are carried around. They are well-prepared to use the rifles in pursuit of a target,” Mbai was quoted as saying, adding the group was targeting locals and foreigners.

The strength of the assassination squad was not known, but the paper said it might be part of a new military wing formed by Abu Dujana, a senior Jemaah Islamiah operative who officials have said has taken over as the group’s leader.

Jemaah Islamiah has been blamed for several deadly attacks in Indonesia, including the 2002 Bali bombing that killed more than 200 people.

Founded around 1993, Jemaah Islamiah has a goal of creating an Islamic ‘superstate’ across the region.

Singapore, Monday, Reuters