Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesian police have detained around 20suspected militants as security steps up ahead of the Christmas and New Yearholiday season.
National police chief Tito Karnavian said the detentions were madepreventatively under a revised anti-terrorism law approved in May, followingsuicide bombings claimed by the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) that killedmore than 30 people in the city of Surabaya.
The police chief did not identify any of the suspects, but said theywere detained in various parts of the country.
Although there is no information released yet about expected terror actsover Christmas and New Year, security forces are taking proactive steps – includingarrests like these, Karnavian said.
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, has struggled tocontain a resurgence in militancy, during which scores of Indonesians havetravelled to the Middle East to join the IS.
In 2000, attacks on churches in the capital of Jakarta on Christmas Evekilled nearly 20 people.
Under the revised law, anyone suspected of planning an attack can beheld for up to 21 days for an initial inquiry and for up to 200 days for aformal investigation. –VNA
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Indonesia's police chief Tito Karnavian (Photo: Reuters) 
