Mahfud MD Shares Updates on Identification of Ex-ISIS Indonesians
Translator
Dewi Elvia Muthiariny
Editor
Mahinda Arkyasa
Sabtu, 29 Februari 2020 00:44 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, said that the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) recorded a total of 699 Indonesian nationals who left the country to join ISIS in Syria.
The agency, Mahfud added, was still identifying children who are classified as orphans since the government had only planned to repatriate the orphans.
"We are still profiling orphans under the age of 10 years. That's all," said Mahfud at his office on Friday, February 28, 2020.
According to Mahfud, the profiling process would be followed up by the validation of the number of former ISIS supporters. Previously reported, there were some 689 Indonesians who joined the terrorist group.
"Two days ago, the number increases by 15, but it turns out that 5 of them have been included in the total of 689 people. So now the number is 699. Please understand if the number changes because they are runaway people. They left Indonesia, and we don't know they went there," Mahfud said.
In addition to profiling, Mahfud asserted that their passports had been blocked. "[We have started blocking passports of those affiliated with ISIS so they cannot enter Indonesia," he underlined.
HALIDA BUNGA
