Jemaah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia Disband Group in Surprise Announcement

Members of Jemaah Islamiyah in Indonesia
Members of Jemaah Islamiyah in Indonesia
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Jemaah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia Disband Group in Surprise Announcement

Members of Jemaah Islamiyah in Indonesia
Members of Jemaah Islamiyah in Indonesia

In a surprise move, senior members of the Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian militant network blamed for the deadly Bali bombings, announced they are disbanding the group, according to a report by a Jakarta-based think tank on Thursday.
The report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC), confirmed the authenticity of a June 30 video statement by 16 Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leaders announcing they were dissolving the extremist network.
In the statement, captured on video and shared online, the leaders confirmed their commitment to the Indonesian state and law, and said all materials taught in JI-affiliated boarding schools would be in line with Islam.
“It is too early to say what the consequences are, but the men who signed the statement have enough respect and credibility within the organization to ensure widespread acceptance,” said Sidney Jones, who authored IPAC's preliminary analysis.
The al-Qaeda linked militant group is accused of orchestrating some of the deadliest attacks in Indonesia, including the 2002 bombing of Bali nightclubs that killed more than 200 people.
Indonesia's National Counter Terrorism Agency (BNPT) declined to comment on the development, but said it planned to soon hold a press conference.
The decision to disband the organization, said Jones, was likely driven by several factors, including the influence of intellectuals within the group who were less interested in violence, and a cost-benefit analysis on the best way to protect the group's biggest assets – its schools.
Intensive engagement with counter-terrorism officials also played a role, the report said.

“For the moment, the likely result is the flourishing of Jemaah Islamiyah-affiliated schools and the increasing involvement in public life of the men who signed the 30 June statement,” said IPAC. “What happens to the rest of the membership remains to be seen.”



Iranian Capital Builds 'Defensive Tunnel' after Israeli Strikes

People cross an intersection in northern Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
People cross an intersection in northern Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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Iranian Capital Builds 'Defensive Tunnel' after Israeli Strikes

People cross an intersection in northern Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
People cross an intersection in northern Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran is building a "defensive tunnel" in the capital Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday, following strikes by Israel on targets in the country.
The tunnel, located near the city center, will link a station on the Tehran metro to the Imam Khomeini hospital, thus allowing direct underground access to the medical facility, Reuters said.
"For the first time in the country, a tunnel with defensive applications is being built in Tehran," the head of transport for Tehran City Council told Tasnim.
Last month, Israel carried out its first officially-recognized strikes in Iran, hitting missile factories and other sites near Tehran and in the country's west, as a response to Iran's Oct.1 attack on Israeli territory.