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”Aris Sumarsono” terrorist who is involved in suicide bombings attacked is arrested by Indonesian Police

Indonesian police said yesterday that they had arrested the alleged leader of Jemaah Islamiah (JI) Aris Sumarsono, who was believed to be behind the 2002 Bali bombing.

Indonesian police arrest Jemaah Islamiah linked terrorist Zulkarnaen after 17-year hunt https://t.co/4kxK5SwJpU

— The Straits Times (@straits_times) December 12, 2020

Police said he was arrested “without resistance” on Thursday night (December 10) in Purbolinggo, governed by East Lampung, Lampung, Sumatra.

His house was also searched.

Zulkarnaen, whose real name is Aris Sumarsono, 57, is an Afghanistan-trained activist believed to be leading the elite force involved in the suicide bombings at the JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta, which killed 12 people in 2003.

He also allegedly made the bombs that killed 202 people in Bali in 2002. He fled the attack in Jakarta.

Police said they acted as the commander of the JI regional terror network, assembling a group of fighters known as Laskar Khos, or Special Force, involved in the Bali attacks.

This unit is also believed to be responsible for the violent sectarian conflicts in Poso, central Sulawesi and Ambon in the Moluccas.

Zulkarnaen led military intelligence operations for the JI. Together with Umar Patek, a field commander in the 2002 Bali bombings, he was able to quickly rally his supporters if an important partner was captured or killed.

Zulkarnaen was also a leader of Al Qaeda in Southeast Asia.

His arrest comes after the police counterterrorism team, Densus 88, arrested another terrorist, Taufik Bulaga or Upik Lawanga, in Lampung in late November.

Taufik was an experienced bomb maker and a close associate of the late Major JI Noordin Top.

Zulkarnaen helped Taufik stay in the field, police said.