JAKARTA, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian police are hunting members of a terrorist group which Affiliates to IS following the shooting of two police personnel earlier this week in Central Sulawesi province, chief of staff at the presidential office Moeldoko said here on Thursday.
The two police personnel were shot on Monday when they were trying to evacuate a body of a civilian believed to be murdered by terrorists in Pariqi Mountong district, triggering exchange of gun shots of the two sides, according to the police.
Terrorists grouped in Mujahidin Indonesia Timur (MTI) is now led by Ali Kalora who took over the leadership in the group after an Indonesian soldier shot dead their leader Santoso in a military operation in deep forest of Poso district.
Moeldoko admitted that the hunt is facing obstacles including the mountainous condition of the area.
The former general said that the military operation against the rest of the group members is still going on. However, the scale has been drifted lower recently, as the group members have significantly decreased. It is believed to only have about ten members.
In 2016, Indonesia launched a military operation in deep forest of Poso district to hunt the MTI group, whose member was about 36 at that time, involving a total of 2,000 soldiers and police personnel.
The militant group have launched a series of terrorist activities and assassinations against police personnel in Central Sulawesi Province.
