Minister Michael Keenan backs Jakarta’s approach to returned Islamist fighters

THE  Australian government ­believes Indonesia is “responding appropriately” to the terrorism risks of Muslim fighters returning from Syria and Iraq.

THE  Australian government ­believes Indonesia is “responding appropriately” to the terrorism risks of Muslim fighters returning from Syria and Iraq, says Justice Minister Michael Keenan.

Although the official estimate of Indonesians going to join the terroristic Islamic State regime and other radical groups in the Iraq-Syria conflict remains at 50, some national security experts put the number as high as 500.

Canberra believes about 160 Australians citizens are fighting with, or assisting terrorist groups in the Middle East.

“The threat of foreign fighters going to Iraq and Syria is heightened just by the sheer numbers leaving that are leaving from both Australia and Indonesia,” Mr Keenan said following a ceremony in Semarang, Central Java to mark the 10th anniversary of the jointly operated Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement ­Co-operation.

“And we are very keen to ensure that both countries co-operate to deal with this challenge. They are very aware of the problem, the similarities of the problem we are facing together are very real.”

Mr Keenan made his comments following his Tuesday meetings in Jakarta with Indonesian National Police officials. “I felt very comfortable that the Indonesian government was aware of it and responding appropriately for the Indonesian circumstances,” he said.

Australian Federal Police deputy commissioner for national security, Andrew Colvin, was even more positive about Indonesia’s capacity to handle the future national security threat from returning Islamic State fighters.

“I think on any measure we would have to say the Indonesian police have been particularly effective in their efforts to combat terrorism, notwithstanding the challenge they have and the challenge we have jointly,” said Mr Colvin, who accompanied the minister to Indonesia.

“We’re supremely confident in the relationship we have with the Indonesian national police, we’re confident in the mechanisms we put in place through facilities such as JCLE, joint training joint intelligence-sharing.”

Indonesia is cracking down on the extremist prison population following reports that Jemaah ­Islamiah co-founder Abu Bakar Bashir had sworn an oath of allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi.