An Indonesian Army special forces soldier stands on P6 ATAV light attack vehicle before deployment ahead of the upcoming Indonesia's general election in Jakarta, Indonesia, April 14, 2019. (Source: Reuters)Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesia’s counter-terrorism squad has rounded up at least 10 people suspected of planning attacks during the upcoming announcement of the results of the April’s presidential election, local police said on May 15.
The arrests came as tension runs high and security is tightened in the country ahead of the May 22 announcement by the General Election Commission (KPU).
According to Indonesia’s national police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo, the suspects belonged to Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), the largest Islamic State-linked group in the country, with local authorities still on the hunt for more members.
The suspects claimed that they planned to attack mass gatherings on May 21, 22, or 23 to create chaos and target as many victims as possible, including police, he said.
To safeguard the event, nearly 32,000 police and military personnel are on standby in the capital Jakarta, including troops drafted in from other provinces, Prasetyo said.
Last week, authorities shot dead one militant and detained six others for plotting to attack police during the planned demonstrations, he added.
Indonesia conducted general elections on April 17 to elect the next president and vice president.
The race to become the Indonesian president for the 2019-2024 term was a rematch between two familiar candidates who were rivals in the 2014 election, namely incumbent President Joko Widodo and former Army Gen. Prabowo Subianto, a member of the Great Indonesian Movement Party.
According to the latest results, with more than 80 percent of the votes counted, incumbent Indonesian President Joko Widodo is temporarily leading the race with 56 percent of the votes. –VNA
VNA
