Jakarta. In the lead-up to the presidential election, the Counter-terrorism squad Detachment 88 has been actively cracking down on terrorism cells, resulting in the arrest of at least 45 suspected militants in October alone.

These suspects are reportedly either members of the homegrown militant group Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) or sympathizers of the global terror network Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The largest operation took place on Friday, with the arrest of 27 suspects in separate operations conducted in Jakarta, West Java, and Central Sulawesi.

"On October 27, 27 members of Anshorut Daulah were apprehended," National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Ahmad Ramadhan said on Sunday.

Of these, 17 suspects were arrested in West Java, nine in Jakarta, and one in Central Sulawesi. The identities of the suspects were provided only in their initials.

In the previous week, the anti-terror squad arrested 18 suspected militants in various regions, including West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Lampung, West Nusa Tenggara, West Java, and West Kalimantan.

Ahmad noted that some of the suspects were arrested after "spreading propaganda on social media platforms."

Similar operations have been conducted in the past few months, leading to the apprehension of numerous suspects.

JAD has been responsible for a series of attacks, including the stabbing of then Chief Security Minister Wiranto in Pandeglang, Banten province, in October 2019.

Authorities believe that this militant group aims to establish an Islamic State in Indonesia and supports ISIS.

Add as a preferred source on Google +