JAKARTA, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia is facing threats of terror attacks which might be perpetrated by homegrown radical groups affiliated to Islamic State (IS) in the 2020 regional elections process, an Indonesian intelligence analyst said here on Thursday.
Identifying the threats as part of potential conflicts during the regional elections scheduled nationwide on Sept. 23, 2020, Director of the Indonesia Intelligence Institute Ridlwan Habib said the attacks could occur in areas known as their potential targets and network development basis across the country.
"They don't like any election that uses a system totally against their ideology. Their attacks would not be based on their affiliation to any candidate taking part in the regional elections," Habib said.
Currently some 1,200 die-hard radical groups' militants remain on the loose, and continue developing their networks in several areas.
Areas identified as prone to possible attacks include cities in Java, southern part of Sumatra, Bali and West Nusa Tenggara province, Habib said.
The Indonesian police arrested 68 terrorist suspects from January to May this year. They were identified as militants of the banned radical group Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) that had been plotting deadly attacks during the chaotic days in Jakarta related to announcement of Indonesia's April elections winners in May.
Indonesia has banned the operation of the homegrown radical group that stated their allegiance to IS, and sentenced the group's leader to death last year for his role in masterminding several deadly attacks in several cities in the country.
Indonesia Military Commander Air Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto said earlier on Wednesday that the military would take efforts to assure the security during the simultaneous regional elections.
The military would deploy personnel and adequate armaments to assist the police, he said, adding that military personnel comprised two-thirds of total joint personnel assigned to secure the April 2019 elections.
Indonesia's 2020 regional elections would elect regional leaders in 270 administrative areas across the country, comprising nine provinces, 224 regencies and 37 cities.
