Jemaah Islamiyah blamed for Jakarta bombings

Indonesia has made great strides in containing terrorism recently, arresting several high-level suspects of Jemaah Islamiyah which has carried out several attacks over the years.

The man thought to be its one-time leader mastermind is former teacher Abu Bakar Bashir. He has been open in his dislike of the West and his support for Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.

Jemaah Islamiyah earned notoriety after the first attacks in Bali in 2002. More than 200 people died when bombs destroyed two night clubs on the holiday island; many of the victims were foreigners. The group is thought to have cells across southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. With support from the United States, Indonesia has improved its counter-terrorist operations, putting suspects on trial and beefing up security around potential targets. However, documents found in 2007 suggest that Jemaah Islamiyah had not gone away but was waiting to strike again.

Jemaah Islamiyah means ‘Islamic gathering’ and, although its structure remains murky, it is seen as southeast Asia’s largest jihadist organisation, with the aim of an Islamic superstate spanning the region.

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tags: Indonesia, Jakarta bombing, Terrorism