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| Soldiers of the Indonesian Army (Image: Wiki Commons) |
By Prashanth Parameswaran
A new anti-terror squad could raise old concerns in the country.
On Tuesday, the Indonesian military (TNI) launched a new counterterrorism squad called the TNI Joint Special Operations Command or Koopsusgab. While the move clearly illustrates Jakarta’s determination to eradicate the terrorism threat, it is also likely to heighten anxieties about the military’s growing role in the country.
The new squad is the latest sign that the Indonesian government is stepping up its efforts to combat the Islamic State (IS) threat. As I have reported previously, while numbers vary, hundreds of Indonesians have already joined IS abroad. In addition, several extremist cells are operating within Indonesia and are engaged in recruitment, indoctrination and some military training, including in Poso where security forces mounted operations earlier this year.
Indonesian officials say Koopsusgab will be a further boost to their counter-terrorism efforts. The group, which will reportedly be stationed in Sentul, West Java, will be an elite, inter-service team comprising 81 trained counter-terrorism personnel from the Army, the Navy’s special forces and the Air Force’s Bravo 90 special forces unit. The lean and capable force will also enable it to be deployed quickly to hotspots as they arise. “They are ready to fight terrorism at any second,” Indonesia’s outgoing military chief General Moeldoko boasted to local news portal Kompas.
Read the full story at The Diplomat