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Indonesian police shot dead six suspected terrorists

Xinhua, April 9, 2017 Adjust font size:

Indonesian police shot dead six suspected terrorists in a gun battle in East Java, a national police spokesperson said on Sunday.

National Police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar said the six were members of Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) cornered in a rice plantation of Tuban regency after attempting a drive-by shooting of two traffic police on Saturday morning.

"The attack is an order from Zainal Anshori, JAD leader, as a revenge of his arrest by counter-terrorism police earlier on Friday," Amar said in a statement.

Four of the dead have been identified as Adi Handoko, Satria Aditama, Yudhistira Rostiprayogi, and Endar Prasetyo.

JAD is an umbrella group of Indonesian extremists that was formed in 2015 and claims allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Amar explained the standoff started around 10 am on Saturday when two Tuban traffic police approached a car stopped near their post. "The passengers fired four shots then ran away. Two police missed the shots and informed their colleagues to pursue the gunmen," Amar said.

During the chase that lasted several hours, the perpetrators fire several shots, before they get out of the car and flee into the rice field where they were eventually shot dead by mobile brigade and counter-terrorism police.

The police seized the suspected car, six firearms, dozens of 9 mm bullets, four cell phones, a two-way radio, knives, and terror-related propaganda material.

Indonesia as the world's largest Muslim population has been on high alert over a recent resurgence in radicalism inspired by the extremist group Islamic State.

Recent attacks by Islamic State followers have mostly been poorly organized. However authorities believe about 400 Indonesians have left to join the militant group in Syria and they could pose a more deadly threat if they came home. Endit