By Ainur Rohmah
TUBAN, Indonesia (AA) - A known member of a Daesh-linked group has died in a shootout with security forces in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province after emerging from a mountain hideout in search of food.
A local police spokesperson told Anadolu Agency on Friday that two men had responded with gunfire and bombs after they were challenged while approaching a village in the troubled town of Poso on Thursday.
"Both brought machetes and were looking for groceries at a local farm," Adjunct Commissioner Hari Suprapto said by phone, adding that one of the men had managed to escape in the melee.
"They [the men] threw bombs, and police responded with shots."
Police have said they seized a backpack containing bombs, supplies, compass, and medicine.
The men are suspected members of the East Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) group, which has been hiding in a mountainous forested area in rugged Central Sulawesi since a 3500-men strong joint police and military operation was launched in January to hunt them down.
The group was severely weakened by the death of its leader Abu Wardah Santoso in a shootout in July, and only nine members of the group’s original 41 members are suspected to be left.
National Police spokesperson Brigadier Agus Rianto said Friday that police had been able to identify the dead man based on two tattoos on his back and legs.
"We have shown a photo of his face and tattoos to his family, and confirmed that he is Suharyono -- a.k.a Yono Sayur," detik.com reported him as saying.
He identified Suharyono as being involved in an attempt to kill the Poso police chief a few years ago.
The group is believed responsible for a number of attacks on police in Poso and surrounding areas since 2011.
Santoso pledged allegiance to Daesh in 2014.
The government tightening security and focusing its operations against MIT after a Jan. 14 terrorist attack in central Jakarta killed four civilians and four Daesh-affiliated assailants.