A Densus 88 anti-terrorism police officer stands guard in front of a house in Depok, West Java. A letter directed at Densus 88 written by a supposed terrorist spells out an open challenge to the squad; it reads that if Densus 88 are ‘men’ they would fight the East Indonesian Mujahedin force openly. Photo Credit: (JG Photo/Jurnasyanto Sukarno)
The National Police are currently trying to verify the authenticity of a letter taunting the police’s anti-terror detachment allegedly written by a wanted terrorist, Jakarta Globe reported news.
The terrorist, Santoso, who is also known as Abu Wardah or Abu Yahya, is wanted for his supposed involvement in at least three armed attacks on police posts in Central Java in August that left one officer dead and two injured.
Santoso is also believed to be conducting paramilitary training with a terrorist organization in the Poso district of Central Sulawesi.
Hackers inserted the letter into the East Kalimantan government’s website.
“There are some similarities between what is being claimed in the letter, the conditions in the field at the present and also with the information [provided by]terror suspects whom we have already arrested,” a police anti-terror officer said on Wednesday.
He added that suspects, such as a man named Imron who was arrested in Central Sulawesi on Monday, also said that Santoso and his group were now combat ready.
“We are still studying the origin of the letter [and]Santoso’s network,” the investigator said.
Santoso’s group is also believed to be behind the slaughter of two police officers sent to investigate reports about a military training camp in the Poso area. The two went missing for about a week before they were finally found with their throats slit on Tuesday.
In the letter, Santoso called himself Abu Mu’ab Al-Zarqawi Al Indunesi and the commander of the East Indonesian Mujahedin force. He challenged the police to face the Mujahedin openly and in a manly way.
“Let us make war as men… You should not only dare to shoot at and arrest our unarmed members… If you are really men, then face us,” the letter said.
Additionally, the letter stated that the anti-terror attachment, Densus 88, equipped with full armaments and expertly trained by officials from the US, should dare to face the Muhajedin.
It accused Densus 88 of stealing people’s money and engineering terror themselves to justify their spending;
“Therefore we openly challenge the Densus 88 anti-terror squad to engage in war with us. Do not just arrest the weak, but fight us. Your arrival is awaited,” the letter said.