Top jihadist threatens attacks on Indonesian officials

Indonesia’s most notorious terrorist has used an ISIS forum on social media to threaten attacks on government officials, police say.

Indonesia’s most notorious terrorist has used an Islamic State forum on social media to threaten attacks on government officials, national police confirmed yesterday.

Abu Wardah, aka Santoso, the leader of jihadist group Eastern ­Indonesia Mujahideen, warned in an audio message: “We are the soldiers of Dawlah Islam ­(Islamic State), who deliver you ­reminders.

“Believers or non believers, like it or not, willingly or not, the Black pennant, with the permission of Allah will fly at the Presidential Palace.”

Banten police commander Boy Rafli said: “Police are aware he issued the threat on Sunday.”

Brigadier General Rafli said ­security and intelligence were being escalated across the country as a precaution, and the social media posting was being ­investigated.

Santoso, the nation’s most infamous extremist, who has long been operating from a jungle ­hide-out in Poso, Sulawesi, is understood to be the first Indonesian to have pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

He is thought to receive international recruits and support from the terror group.

Fauzan al-Anshori, an Islamic State ­recruiter and former acolyte of radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, circulated the warning via an ­Islamic State Indonesia group ­discussion on the BlackBerry Messenger app.

It says: “Indonesian government officials! Repent and return the right of God you seized! Before you arrive at the day when repentance won’t be accepted. Don’t be arrogant.

“Indeed, Iraqi government officers were warned, but they remained arrogant. Then, guns and mines blew them up.

“We also warned Egyptian government officers but they were ­arrogant. Then the warning was with ammunition and slaughter.

“Learn the lessons, we are ­reminding you that we are the soldiers of Dawlah Islam.

“Santoso Abu Wardah Asy ­Syarqi Hafidzahullah.”

Badrus Sholeh, the head of international ­relations, social and political sciences at Syarif Hidayatullah State ­Islamic University, said there was no doubt Islamic State was increasing pressure after the Paris attacks.

He warned it was imperative that the government increase security and law enforcement.

Police have a list of 40 Syrian returnees and about 700 are known to be in the Middle East aligned to either Islamic State or the al-Q’aida-affiliated Jabhat al Nusra. “Messages to IS groups in Indonesia tend to be reminders of (previous) IS attacks to government officers,” Mr Sholeh said.

“They conduct weekly discussions in some cities, including later this week.”

That meeting to be held in a Bekasi mosque on the outskirts of Jakarta would attract many supporters with the title “The power of the caliphate forces can shake the American coalition and its ­allies.”

“Their confidence is truly ­related to the Paris attacks,’’ Mr Sholeh said.

Mr Sholeh said another social media forum, Telegram messenger, directly linking Islamic State Indonesia to Syria, was closed yesterday morning.