3 IS-linked terrorists killed in operation in Indonesia

JAKARTA, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Three members of an Islamic State (IS)-linked homegrown terrorist organization were killed in a military-police security operation in Indonesia's central Sulawesi province, a senior police officer said on Friday.

The terrorists were killed in a shootout on Thursday afternoon in the province's regency of Parigi Moutong, Head of central Sulawesi Police Headquarters Lukman Wahyu Hariyanto said.

The three killed terrorists are identified as Andi Muhammad from Makassar, Jaka Ramadhan from Banten and Alhaji Kaliki from Ambon, he said.

According to Lukman, the task team also managed to arrest two other terrorists after the shootout.

"Their force should be decreasing at present as they have lost three ones with two others arrested by the task team. We estimated nine are still left remaining in the organization at present," he said in the province's capital of Palu.

He said police and military troops joining Tinombala operation now are combing the jungles located in the regency's mountainous areas to hunt the remaining members of East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT).

The joint military-police Tinombala operation has killed MIT leader, Santoso alias Abu Wardah, in July 2016 through a shootout in Tambarana village located in the province's regency of Poso.

Refusing to surrender, MIT members fled to jungles in the province's mountains since then to continue their existence.

Tinombala operation was set up in 2016 to end activities of MIT which carried out several attacks against police and public offices with its aim to establish Islamic state in Indonesia. MIT also organized illegal travel for domestic fighters eager to join IS in Syria.