Home > Singapore
Plot To Attack Marina Bay: Suspects Linked To Jakarta Bombings Mastermind
In 2011, Bahrun Naim was arrested for possessing illegal arms and explosives, and was jailed for three years.
August 6th, 2016 | 08:18 AM | 1375 views
SINGAPORE
Bahrun Naim, who has been linked to the six arrested terror suspects who planned to hit Marina Bay with a rocket from Indonesia’s Batam island, is a leading figure with Katibah Nusantara, the South-east Asian branch of the Syria-based Islamic State (IS) unit comprising largely of Indonesian and Malaysian fighters.
Bahrun was identified by the Indonesian authorities as the mastermind behind the Jakarta bombings earlier this year, which left eight people dead and more than 20 wounded, including four civilians.
He wanted to set up an IS “province” in the region, covering Indonesia, the southern Philippines, southern Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
Believed to be from Pekalongan in Central Jawa, Bahrun, 33, worked as a computer technician and ran an Internet cafe in the small city of Solo.
He was said to be close to the son of radical Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who is currently serving a 15-year jail sentence for involvement in a terrorist training facility in Aceh.
In 2011, Bahrun was arrested for possessing illegal arms and explosives and was jailed for three years. After he was released, he disappeared with his wife and the police believed they left for Syria last year to join IS.
Since then, he has emerged as a key player in militant networks that have sprouted around Solo and Central Java.
“He explained and gave motivation about launching a holy war and explained how to make bombs and said that he would send money to anyone who is ready to engage in terrorist acts,” former Indonesian police chief Badrodin Haiti said in February.
In a Telegram exchange with Reuters late last year, Bahrun said he enjoyed life in Syria and did not plan to return home. “I move around, depending on where our emir orders us to go. It’s good here in Syria. There’s electricity, accommodation, water and it’s free. The services provided by them are good, cheaper than in Indonesia,” he said.
He runs a blog, which has changed names several times, where he praised the attacks carried out by those who have sworn allegiance to IS. He also offers encouragement and advice to jihadists.
For example, in one posting last November, he had praised the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks in Paris, in particular their success in reaching a high death count, noting that it had not been a “lone wolf” attack that killed only a small number of people.
The blog, however, is no longer accessible. It is not known if he has another blog now.
Source:
courtesy of TODAY
by TODAY Online
If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]