Indonesia has seen more incidents of terrorism this year compared to last year as the embattled Islamic State has called for attacks outside its Middle Eastern stronghold to be stepped up, police said to jakartaglobe.id.
The number of terrorism-related incidents increased to 170 from 82, which included attacks as well as arrests of terror suspects. Police said the number of suspected terrorists killed during the year also increased to 33 from seven.
The rise in terrorism cases in Indonesia came as the Islamic State has been driven out of parts of Iraq and Syria it previously occupied, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said.
“ISIS have been suppressed in Syria throughout this year and they could barely move. Thus, they have called on their networks outside the country to move,” Tito told reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday (28/12).
The first Islamic State-linked attack in Indonesia occurred in downtown Jakarta in January, when four people were killed in an explosion and a subsequent shootout with police.
