AUTHORITIES in Indonesia have arrested six suspected militants who were allegedly planning to launch a rocket attack on a popular location in Singapore from nearby Batam island.
National Police spokesman Maj. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar says the Indonesian men were captured by the counter-terrorism unit Friday morning on the Indonesian island, which is about 25 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Singapore.
The men had reportedly planned to attack Singapore’s highly-visited Marina Bay.
Amar says the arrests, which included the 31-year-old leader of the group, highlight the continued threat posed by extremists in Indonesia despite a sustained crackdown by authorities.
He says all of the men claimed they were members of Katibah Gigih Rahmat, a little known extremist group.
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According to the Straits Times, Singaporean officials said it was aware of the plans by the suspected militants arrests.
Singapore’s home affairs ministry on Friday said police in the city state and other agencies have stepped up security measures both inland and at its borders.
“Our security agencies have been coordinating closely with the Indonesian authorities since the discovery of this attack plot, to monitor the activities of the group and to apprehend those involved,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.
“We are grateful for the good cooperation by the Indonesian authorities and their actions to apprehend the group,” it said.
The ministry also said the plot “highlights the seriousness of the terrorism threat to Singapore”, and advised Singaporeans to remain vigilant, the paper reported.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Indonesia’s Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a radical Islamic cleric who was convicted of funding a terror training camp.
Abu Bakar Bashir, known as the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah militants, had sought a judicial review of his 2011 conviction that sentenced him to 15 years in prison for his role in the camp in Aceh province. A higher court later cut the sentence to nine years.
Supreme Court spokesman Suhadi said Thursday the appeal was rejected by a three-member judicial panel in a verdict dated July 27.
Suhadi, who uses one name, said “the judicial review failed to present new evidence.”
“We also did not find any mistakes or irregularities in the verdicts by the district as well as high court.”
Additional reporting from Associated Press
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