No Decision Yet to Repatriate 600 Ex-ISIS Indonesians: BNPT

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) Chief Suhardi Alius has underlined there has been no information or decision on the repatriation of 600 ex-ISIS Indonesians.

“What we have is information from a number international communities, whether intelligence channels of international agencies, about tens of thousands of FTF (Foreign Terrorist Fighters) in Syria. From several [refugee] camps some 600 [people] claimed to be Indonesians,” he told a press conference in his office in Jakarta on Friday, February 7, 2020.

He added the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) and the National Police’s counterterrorism unit Special Detachment 88 (Densus 88) had also received similar information in the form of names and photos. Suhardi said he had reported to the Coordinating Security Minister and held meetings to look into the information.

Suhardi said the BNPT, the Foreign Ministry, the Home Affairs Ministry and Densus 88 were still verifying the data. “There is no decision yet. We are still soliciting responses from each ministry. We will talk further about this later. The coordinating minister will make a decision then we will report to the Vice President and the President,” he said.

Suhardi said the ex-ISIS Indonesians were placed at three camps in Syria, viz. Al Hawl, Al Roj and Ayn Issa, to which the government, unfortunately, were bereft of access as they were controlled by three different authorities.

Earlier reports said Religious Affairs Minister Fachrul Razi announced the BNPT would repatriate 600 ex-ISIS Indonesians from the Middle East.

Friski Riana | Galuh Kurnia Ramadhani (Intern Translator)