Indonesia captures top militant in new blow to Santoso group

A senior figure from the East Indonesia Mujahideen militant group has been captured and one of the group’s members killed in a joint operation with the military, Sky news reported quoting Indonesian police.

The capture of Muhammad Basri on Wednesday is another blow to the militant group, based in the jungles of Central Sulawesi province. 

The group’s leader, Santoso, who was Indonesia’s most wanted Islamic radical, was killed by security forces in a shootout in July.

Basri was Santoso’s deputy and may have assumed leadership of the group’s dwindling ranks following Santoso’s death. It claims allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The capacity of Indonesia’s militant groups to carry out deadly attacks has been significantly weakened by a sustained crackdown following the Bali bombings in 2002 that killed 202 people, mostly foreigners.

Source: MENA