Spokesman of the National Police, Dedi Prasetyo, yesterday revealed new details about AT, one of the two suspected terrorists arrested in Bali’s Jembrana regency last week. Authorities said AT allegedly acted as an attack coordinator and was found to have provided tutoring on bomb-making for his extremist group.
“[AT] was actively giving tutorials on how to make bombs, this is what they shared on their group,” Dedi said, as quoted by Kompas.com.
Echoing what Bali Police spokesman, Hengky Widjaja, said on Saturday, Dedi highlighted how AT has a close relationship with Syahril Alamsyah, also known as Abu Rara, who were one of the two IS-linked suspects arrested last week for allegedly stabbing Indonesia’s chief security minister Wiranto.
“AT was a coordinator for the attacks. He’s part of Abu Rara’s group. They are in the same group coordinating an attack, or amaliyah, and a terror plot in Bali,” Dedi said, as quoted by Tribun-Bali.
Amaliyah is a term jihadists use to refer to field action.
Forty-five-year-old AT was arrested alongside his 14-year-old son, ZAI, last week, when police also seized a number of weapons – including an arrow, a bayonet and an airsoft gun.
With ZAI being underage, Dedi said that authorities will treat his investigation with special care. Police are reportedly still trying to figure out if there was a plan for ZAI to conduct a suicide bomb attack.
“We are still investigating, because the child is very young. He’s 14. Therefore we need to treat him with special care,” Dedi said.
According to existing international legal framework, recruitment and exploitation of children by terrorist and violent extremist groups are considered a serious form of violence against children.
Following AT and ZAI’s arrests, police in Bali are stepping up security across the island, including at airport, ports and popular tourist attractions.
