Indonesia inaugurates new chief of anti-terror agency

Indonesia on Wednesday officially installed a prominent police general as the new leader of its anti-terror agency as threats of terrorism have been rising in the country.

Inspector General Tito Karnavian has been promoted to head the National Counter-terrorism Agency (BNPT) two months after a suicide bombing and gun attack claimed by the Syria-based Islamic State terrorist network took place in Jakarta, killing four militants and four civilians.

The agency has received fierce criticism for its failure to contain the increasing number of Indonesian supporters going to Syria to join IS.

Tito was promoted as the chief of the agency from his role as Jakarta police chief.

"I feel optimistic (about this appointment) because this area is something that I'm familiar with," he told reporters in Jakarta after his inauguration at the presidential palace led by President Joko Widodo.

He said that his "short-term" priorities included taking on radicals in Central Sulawesi province's Poso which is believed to be the headquarter of an extremist group that has pledged allegiance to IS.

Indonesian experts in security and defense have praised the appointment of Tito who has an established background in counter-terrorism as he previously led the National Police's counter-terrorism unit Densus 88, which has proven to successfully tackle militancy in Indonesia.

"Counter-terrorism in Indonesia can be expected to run professionally and proportionally," said Neta S. Pane, chief of Indonesia Police Watch, in a statement recently.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, has witnessed numerous Islamic extermist bombings in the past 15 years, including the 2002 Bali attacks that murdered 202 people. Endit