Ex-Isis fighters arrested in Indonesian terror probe after Medan suicide bombing

The four men were believed to have fought alongside Isis in Syria, police said

While there were no details on whether they were involved in the blast, their arrests raised fresh concerns over the threat posed by returnees from Syria

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Police officers stand guard at the scene of a suicide bombing in Medan city. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 4:02pm, 14 Nov 2019Updated: 10:00pm, 14 Nov 2019

Indonesian police on Thursday arrested four men linked with Islamic State, a day after a suicide bomber attacked a police station in Medan city, killing himself and injuring six people.

“The four suspects went through military training and also fought alongside Isis in Syria. [Anti-terror squad] Densus88 is further investigating [them],” said Dedi Prasetyo, the national police spokesman.

Police also arrested the Medan bomber’s wife for allegedly planning terror attacks in Bali using social media, said Dedi.

The latest arrests brought the total number of people held following the blast to 10 in anti-terror raids across Sumatra and Java.

There were no details on when the four alleged Isis veterans returned home, and whether they were linked to the Medan blast, but their detainment has raised concerns over the threat posed by returnees from Syria.

Indonesia has an estimated 34 jihadist fighters and some 700 citizens stuck in Syria. About 50 Indonesian Isis fighters and their families were believed to have escaped from Syria last month. Their whereabouts are currently unknown.

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