The emergence of a terrorist cell in West Java, capable of assembling bombs and acquiring military-grade explosives and foreign funding, is an escalation of the terror threat in South-east Asia, security analysts said. Police said yesterday that the group was planning to strike during the December holidays.

The cell uncovered in West Java’s Majalengka had also received funds from unknown entities abroad.

… During the raid, military-grade explosive material such as TNT and RDX – in quantities large enough to cause twice the damage done in the 2002 Bali bombings – were seized. RDX is a component of C4, an explosive typically used only by armed forces. Airsoft rifles, daggers, bows and arrows were also found.

“There is certainly a market for these weapons in the region, such as in the Philippines, where the Abu Sayyaf (militant group) is based,” said Mr Jasminder Singh.

The senior analyst from the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research added that the growing number of militants, many loyal to ISIS, and the discovery of their inventories, are “over-stretching” security agencies in the region.