BALI, August 16 (RIA Novosti) - One militant of the Islamic State (IS) movement has been killed and seven alleged terrorists arrested in Indonesia, Jakarta Post reported Saturday, citing the authorities of Central and East Java.
Police arrested six men and shot one of them in a raid on a rented house in Banyumas regency, Central Java on Friday, according to the paper.
Earlier reports said six suspected terrorists had been arrested in East Java, with weapons and explosives confiscated from them. According to Indonesian law, illegal arms possession can lead to capital punishment.
The Indonesian government has recognized IS as a terrorist organization and banned its propaganda in the state. However, according to local police, at least 60 extremists from Indonesia took part in the fighting in Syria on the side of IS. Their return to homeland increases the terrorist threat in Indonesia.
The Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, is a Sunni group that has been fighting in Syria and launched an offensive in Iraq in June. The group has taken over large parts of the country, with a goal of seizing Baghdad. The group has also announced the establishment of a caliphate on the Iraq-Syria border.
