Jakarta Blasts: What Analysts are Saying about ISIS Role in the Attacks

The Straits Times

14 January 2016

Jakarta’s police chief said on Thursday that militant group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was definitely behind the attacks in the Indonesian capital.

Mr Tito Karnavian told reporters that Indonesian ISIS fighter Bahrun Naim was “planning this for awhile”. His comments came as a news agency allied to the militant group claimed that ISIS was responsible.

Analysts say the level of coordination required for the multiple attacks on Thursday clearly indicates that ISIS is behind the assault.

“The ISIS network in Indonesia mounted the attack,” said terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna in an e-mail interview with The Straits Times.

… Dr Kumar Ramakrishna, head of policy studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said: “The apparent multiple gunmen acting in synchronicity and the possible use of suicide vests – this is hard to pin down at the moment – suggests an ISIS signature, as this signature was certainly there in Paris on Nov 13. This is speculative at this point of course.”

Categories:

GPO / ICPVTR / RSIS / Online / Print

Last updated on 15/01/2016