approx. 50,000 36 Location Poso, Indonesia | Start date January 10, 2016 | |
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Operation Tinombala was a joint-military operation conducted by Indonesian National Police and Indonesian Armed Forces to capture or eliminate members of Mujahidin Indonesia Timur (MIT), an Indonesian terrorist group which supported ISIL and was commanded by Santoso. Recently, Indonesian military and police succeeded in killing Santoso, but General Tito Karnavian continued the operation to ensure the region's safety from the remaining eleven members of the group. Central Sulawesi governor Longki Djanggola praised the Operation for its relative humane methods since several leaders of the group were successfully captured alive.
Background
The operation was commenced by the Indonesian government to eradicate the MIT and prevent them from spreading terror to Indonesian and foreign citizens in Central Sulawesi. The operation, a continuation of continuation of Operation Camar Maleo I & II, was started in early March 2016 and is still ongoing. In 2014, MIT pledged their allegiance to ISIL and became a terrorist group. Their main figurehead was Santoso, though after his death and the arrests of other leaders, the remaining eleven members hid in the jungles surrounding Poso, Central Sulawesi.
