Mahfud MD: The Tinombala Task Force Chase The Terrorists In Sigi

Meteri Coordinator for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD (Wardhany Tsa Tsia / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD said that the government strongly condemns the acts of terror committed by the East Indonesian Mujahidin (MIT) group, which resulted in four deaths in Sigi, Central Sulawesi.

He added that the government has made efforts to investigate this case, including lowering the Tinombala Task Force which is a combination of the TNI and Polri.

Based on the report he received, this team had carried out a number of steps to chase and siege the location suspected of being the perpetrator's hiding place.

"Earlier, the Tinombala Team had conveyed the steps taken to pursue the perpetrators and carry out isolation and siege to places suspected of having links to the perpetrators," Mahfud said in a video statement uploaded to the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs YouTube account, Sunday, November 29.

The former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK) explained that the perpetrators of this violence were the MIT group, which was a remnant of the separatist group led by Santoso.

"The East Indonesia Mujahidin group is the remnant of the Santoso group, which currently has a few more people left and Operation Tinombala is pursuing it now," he said.

Furthermore, after this incident, Mahfud asked all groups of leaders of religious communities in Central Sulawesi to communicate with each other and have a good relationship. This needs to be done in order to prevent provocation by using the issue of SARA.

Moreover, information is circulating that this act of terror was carried out at the church. "Actually, what happened was not in a church but in a place that is routinely used as a place of service for the people," he explained.

"And the culprit is indeed MIT," he added.

Previously, the Tinombala Operations Task Force continued to hunt down suspected perpetrators of violence in Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi, allegedly by the Poso East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) armed civilian group, led by Ali Kalora.

"Now we are studying it by reconnaissance and then through other things. We are trying to keep chasing them, ”said Korem 132 / Tadulako Commander, TNI Brigadier General Farid Makruf, in Palu, as reported by Antara, Sunday, November 29.

He said TNI personnel involved in the Tinombala Task Force were equipped with chasing troops, intelligence, and territorial Task Force troops.

"Our task is to strengthen the Tinombala troops which are currently led by the Kapolda and I as their representatives and so far I think the TNI-Polri synergy is very effective so that the MIT Poso group is pressed so that they feel threatened and take another route," he said.

He also appealed to all parties and the public to work together so that the hunt for the armed civilian group MIT Poso could end immediately and the public could move in peace.

"I appeal to the public to stop helping them by preparing foodstuffs, preparing information on where the TNI-Polri forces are chasing them," he said.

"It has stopped already, because it can be seen how the MIT atrocities commit acts of violence, kill, burn people, rob and burn houses, that is too much," he said.