Indonesia police foil plot to fire rocket at Singapore

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesia’s counter-terrorism police on Friday arrested six suspected militants who were allegedly planning to launch a rocket attack on Singapore’s downtown from nearby Batam island.

The Indonesian men were captured Friday morning on the Indonesian island, which is about 25 kilometres (15 miles) southeast of Singapore, said National Police spokesman Maj. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar.

Amar said the arrests, which included the 31-year-old leader of the group, highlight the continued threat posed by extremists in Indonesia despite a sustained crackdown by authorities.

“We have strong indications that the six men were planning to launch a rocket at Singapore’s Marina Bay from Batam,” he said.

Marina Bay is a busy area close to the heart of Singapore’s downtown filled with vaulting office towers, waterside eateries and tourist attractions including one of Asia’s biggest casinos.

Amar said the Gigih Rahmat Dea and his followers claimed they were members of Katibah Gigih Rahmat, a little known extremist group that helps Indonesian militants travel to Syria and which police believe has received funds from Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian fighting with the Islamic State group in Syria.

Naim has been linked to a succession of poorly executed attacks in Indonesia, including a suicide bombing outside police headquarters in the city of Solo last month that killed the bomber.

Singapore’s state media reported that local authorities were aware of the rocket plot.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement that Singapore’s security agencies had co-ordinated with Indonesia to monitor the activities of the group and apprehend those involved.

Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, suffered a spate of deadly attacks by members of the Jemaah Islamiyah militant network, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists.

However, in recent years, smaller and less deadly strikes have targeted government agencies, mainly police and anti-terrorism forces. Many JI members say they no longer support violent jihad but some have aligned themselves with IS.