Indonesia arrests 18 in pre-Christmas terror sweep
Indonesian anti-terrorism police have detained 18 people with links to militant groups in a bid to cut the risk of attacks during Christmas and the New Year in the world's biggest Muslim-majority country, police said yesterday.
Near-simultaneous attacks on churches in the capital, Jakarta, and elsewhere on Christmas Eve in 2000, killed nearly 20 people. Ever since, authorities have stepped up security at churches and tourist spots for the holiday.
Police Chief Tito Karnavian said while there was no evidence of a specific plot, the detentions were made in a bid to head off trouble.
"We're doing a pre-emptive strike," Karnavian told reporters. "The majority of them have links to previous incidents (and people) who we had arrested earlier," he said.
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