Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia called on all militants hiding in forests in Poso of Central Sulawesi province to surrender after their leader, the most-wanted Santoso, was shot dead by the security forces.
National Police chief General Tito Karnavian on July 19 asked them to come out from their hideouts and terminate their terror acts.
Santoso was shot dead by Indonesian soldiers in the forest on July 18, Indonesian Security Chief Minister Luhut Pandjaitan confirmed.
According to the Indonesian police, around 19 members of the militant group remain in the jungle of Poso.
The figure has significantly decreased since the Indonesian police and armed forces launched a military operation, starting earlier this year.
The militant group has links with the Islamic State (IS) group and has involved in scores of terror strikes in Indonesia, including the suicide bombings in the country's capital of Jakarta on January 24 that killed 8 people and injured nearly 30 others.-VNA