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TEHRAN, June 13, YJC - The military chief in Jakarta says Daesh is present in almost all the Indonesian provinces as the Middle East-based Takfiri terror group is expanding its foothold in Southeast Asia.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - General Gatot Nurmantyo told reporters late on Monday that there are Daesh cells "in almost every province,” but noted that "they are sleeper cells.”
"These sleeper cells can easily join up with other radical cells,” Nurmantyo added.
Militants have launched several terrorist attacks across Indonesia over the past few years. In the latest such assaults, two bombings claimed by Daesh rocked a bus station in eastern Jakarta on May 24, killing three police officers.
Indonesian law enforcement agencies have arrested hundreds of militants during a sustained crackdown in recent years.
At least 400 Indonesians are reportedly believed to have joined the Daesh terrorist group in Iraq and Syria, where the Takfiri outfit is mainly based. Dozens of the extremists have returned home.
Nurmantyo’s remarks underlined concerns about the increasing influence of Daesh in Southeast Asia.
Governments across the region have been on high alert since terrorists from local militant groups, which have pledged allegiance to Daesh, overran Philippines’ southern city of Marawi about three weeks ago.
The Philippine military, which is involved in aerial and ground operations in Marawi, said on Tuesday that the terrorists are still in control of about 20 percent of the city.
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