Exclusive | Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist leader under arrest in Indonesia, security source says
- The leader of Islamic militant group Jemaah Islamiah, Ustad Arif, is in police custody along with the group’s top bomb-maker, Upik Lawanga
- JI was behind Bali terror attacks that killed 202, including 11 Hong Kong residents, and has lately been building its business interests to finance its activities
The leader of the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah (JI), the group behind the devastating Bali bombings, has been arrested in Indonesia along with one of the group’s expert bomb makers, a senior security source told This Week in Asia on Thursday.
JI was behind all the deadliest terror attacks in Indonesia from 1998 to 2010 before it was weakened by Indonesian counterterrorism police, who arrested hundreds of its members during the period, including several leaders. But the network has been on the rise again lately, accumulating business interests in palm oil plantations as well as the mining industry to fuel its activities.
The security source identified the leader as Ustad Arif, saying he had been arrested by Indonesian police about two months ago.
Arif, 54, hails from Klaten, Central Java, and has deep knowledge of Islam, the source said.
“He is good at managing JI’s vast network and is highly respected by all members of JI,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Arif led JI for only eight months before he was arrested, the source said. He was the second JI leader to be arrested within the last two years.
The security source said JI would “need time to find a figure” to take over leadership of the group.
“In the meantime, JI will continue to operate. It is very strong but will still need to carry out consolidation as many of their leaders have been arrested,” the source said.