Aman Abdurrahman, the terrorist believed to be the mastermind of last month’s attack in Jakarta, is now Indonesia’s most dangerous radical ideologue.

He takes over that mantle from Abu Bakar Bashir, the spiritual leader of the now disbanded Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror network, The Straits Times Indonesia bureau chief Francis Chan said, citing security analysts.

Mr Chan was speaking at the first of three quarterly briefings leading up to the annual Global Outlook Forum organised by The Straits Times.

… Another speaker, Mr Barry Desker, a former Singapore envoy to Indonesia, said the terrorism challenge will be a long-drawn battle that will need to confront the seeping conservative Wahhabi doctrine from Saudi Arabia that analysts say fuels extremist movements.