Indonesian officials arrest suspected leader of group linked to Bali bombings

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Al-Qaeda, an Islamic militant organisation, is listed as a terrorist organisation by the UN Security Council and many countries, including Australia.

Indonesian authorities consider Rusdan to be a key figure in the Jemaah Islamiyah, which the US has designated a terrorist group.

The shadowy Southeast Asian network is widely blamed for attacks in the Philippines and Indonesia, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

Mr Ramadhan described the arrests as part of a broader nationwide crackdown on the group.

Police are still searching for other suspected members, following tips that the group was recruiting and training new members in Indonesia.

Who is Abu Rusdan?

Born in Central Java, Rusdan, 61, was sentenced to jail in 2003 for sheltering Ali Ghufron, a militant who was later convicted and executed for carrying out the Bali bombings.

After his release from prison in 2006, Rusdan travelled through Indonesia giving speeches and fiery sermons that received tens of thousands of views on YouTube.

In one recorded sermon, he praised as the "land of jihad" Afghanistan, the country where he had previously trained with other militant groups.

Indonesia's police counter-terrorism unit, known as Densus 88, has swept up 53 alleged members of the Jemaah in the past weeks, across 11 different provinces.

An Indonesian court banned the group in 2008 and a sustained crackdown by the country's security forces with support from the US and Australia has helped to weaken the militant network.

A spokesman for Indonesia's National Intelligence Agency, Wawan Hari Purwanto, said in a video statement early this month that following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, officials have stepped up their efforts at early detection and prevention "particularly toward terrorist groups that have links to the Taliban's ideology and networks". 

Indonesia's counter-terrorism crackdown has been ongoing for months already.

In the past year, Indonesian officials say counter-terrorism forces have captured dozens of militants and suspected members of the Jemaah, including its alleged military leader, Zulkarnaen, who had been wanted for more than 18 years.

Militant attacks on foreigners in Indonesia have been largely replaced in recent years by smaller, less deadly strikes targeting the government, mainly police and security forces, inspired by Islamic State group tactics abroad.

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