Indonesia fears terror backlash as jihadist fighters head to Syria, Iraq
Analysts fear Indonesians travelling to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside Islamic militants will return armed with the knowledge and the means to launch terror attacks at home
Indonesians are joining the procession of jihadists going to fight in Syria and Iraq, sparking fears they will revive sophisticated militant networks when they return and undermine a decade-long crackdown that has crippled the country’s most dangerous terrorist cells.
Support for groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) – the Sunni radicals currently rampaging through northern Iraq – is growing among Indonesian extremists with dozens believed to have joined the insurgency.
Analysts say the fighters will pose a new and serious threat to Indonesia when they return home with honed insurgency tactics and international militant connections, echoing the concerns of Western governments.
“When they return, they will be seen as high-profile jihad.”
Britain and Australia have expressed fears that Syria and Iraq are breeding grounds for violent fanatics who travel there from the West to fight and pose a threat to national security on their return.
Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation, has long struggled with terrorism but a successful clampdown in recent years has seen the end of major deadly attacks – ironically fuelling greater interest in Syria and Iraq.
“There’s not much going on with jihad in Indonesia for militants anymore,” said Taufik Andrie, a terrorism expert at the Institute for International Peace Building in Jakarta.
“There are just splinter groups with no resources or support, so many are inspired by what’s going on in Iraq and Syria,” he told reporters.
