155 Terror Convicts Transferred to Nusa Kambangan

Jakarta, MINA — Some 155 detained terror convicts have been moved to the Nusa Kambangan Prison Island following two days of deadly riots at the National Police`s Mobile Brigade Headquarters in Depok, West Java.

“We are moving these convicts to the prison island of Nusa Kambangan,” Antara News quoted Commissioner General Syafruddin, the National Police deputy chief, as stating at the headquarters in Depok, Thursday.

He reaffirmed that the operation to secure the release of a police officer held by a group of terror detainees lasted for 40 hours and ended at 7:15 a.m. local time.

No fatalities were reported during the operation.

After the security officers raided the block with tear gas, smoke grenades, and some explosions, the group of 10 terror convicts finally surrendered to the police.

Before the 10 convicts, some 145 detainees had also surrendered unconditionally to the police officers.

Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto stated at a press conference on Thursday that the Indonesian government will never negotiate with the terrorists.

“We were not negotiating with the terror detainees but delivering an ultimatum (to the convicts to release the hostage and surrender),” Wiranto remarked.

Meanwhile, Insp. Gen. Pol. Rudi Sufriyadi, the Mobile Brigade commander, noted that a group of terror detainees had occupied a block of the detention center in the headquarters.

This group had snatched several confiscated weapons and explosives at the detention center. Sufriyadi stated that the convicts had planned to blow up the detention block.

A clash broke out at the headquarters after some terror convicts quarreled with the detention guards over a food package. In accordance with the police`s standard operating procedure, all food for the inmates should be checked and sterilized, as it must not contain forbidden materials.

However, the food-checking procedure led to a deadly riot after some terror convicts disarmed police officers and took them as hostages at the detention block inside the headquarters. Following the riot, five police officers and a terror detainee were killed on Tuesday night.

A media arm of the Islamic State (IS) had claimed that its loyalists were behind the clash. Responding to the issue, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Iqbal had denied the IS claim over the incident. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)