2 members of Santoso`s group shot dead

Two members of the Santoso-led terrorist group have been shot dead in Poso District, Central Sulawesi Province, during a joint military operation, according to Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan.

"The Tinombala Operation is going well. The joint operation of the Police and Indonesian Military resulted in the deaths of two members of the terrorist group," Luhut stated here on Tuesday.

Luhut noted that the security officers were still identifying the two terrorists. He revealed that the officers had suffered injuries during the raid.

The government is holding the Tinombala Operation to hunt down terrorist leader Santoso in Poso District.

Additionally, the police and military personnel are also spreading awareness among the local community in the area where the operation is being carried out.

The minister has also urged all members of Santosos terror group to surrender and return to their motherland.

"The members of Santosos group are still Indonesian citizens. If they surrender, we will take good care of them," Luhut stated.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Police Chief General Badrodin Haiti stated that the shootout to besiege Santoso occurred in Napu Valley.

Badrodin said the operation will be continued to cripple the strength of Santoso in Poso.

The group led by Santoso is believed to be hiding in Mountain Biru of Poso District.

Two terrorists of the Santoso-led mujahideen group, who had been shot dead in Napu, Poso District, on March 15, were believed to be foreigners.

The two terrorists, identified as Nuretin alias Abdul and Magalasi Bahtusan alias Farok, were of Uighur ethnicity of China.

The foreigners had joined the terrorist group, presumably after Santoso made an announcement on social media, calling all Indonesians to join him in the fight to help ISIS by participating in a training in Posos forests.

Source: ANTARA