An al-Qaeda-linked group is accused of orchestrating some of Indonesia’s deadliest attacks, including the 2002 bombing of nightclubs in Bali that killed more than 200 people.
Senior members of Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian armed group blamed for the deadly Bali attacks, have announced they are disbanding.
A report by the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) on Thursday confirmed the authenticity of a June 30 video statement by 16 leaders of Jemaah Islamiyah announcing its dissolution.
In the statement, captured on video and shared online, the leaders affirmed their commitment to the Indonesian state and law, and said all material taught at affiliated boarding schools would be in line with orthodox Islam.
“It’s too early to tell what the consequences will be, but the men who signed the statement enjoy enough respect and credibility within the organization to ensure widespread acceptance,” said Sidney Jones, author of the preliminary IPAC analysis.
The al-Qaeda-linked group is accused of orchestrating some of Indonesia’s deadliest attacks, including the 2002 bombing of nightclubs in Bali that killed more than 200 people.
Indonesia’s National Counter-Terrorism Agency declined to comment but said it planned to hold a news conference soon.
The decision to disband the organization, Jones said, was likely motivated by several factors, including the influence of intellectuals within Jemaah Islamiyah who are less interested in violence, and a cost-benefit analysis of how best to protect the group’s greatest asset: its schools.
Intensive engagement with counterterrorism officials also played a role, the report said.
Despite the influence of the personalities involved, IPAC noted that the group has a history of splits and that it is possible that a split could emerge in the future, but probably not immediately.
“For now, the likely outcome is the rise of JI-affiliated schools and the growing involvement in public life of the men who signed the June 30 statement,” IPAC said. “What will happen to the rest of the members remains to be seen.”
