JAKARTA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian national police has given warning to the IS-linked group in central Sulawesi province to give up or they will face repressive acts by security personnel.
The police gave a deadline by up to January 29 to the members of Mujahidin Indonesia Timur (MTI), which has committed a series of terrorist activities and assassinations against police personnel in the province, to surrender, national police spokesman Brigadier General Dedi Prasetyo, said here on Monday.
"Should it not respond, police and armed force personnel will launch a repressive move," Prasetyo said at the police headquarters.
Currently, the police and soldiers have been attempting to restrict the movement of the group which is hiding in remote forest in Poso district, the spokesman said.
Among the attempts, Prasetyo said, the personnel have blocked the tracks used by the group to get logistics and for communication.
"The tracks for the group to obtain foods, communications and the tracks used by the members of the group to come down to villages from the edge of the forest, all have been blocked," he said.
On Dec. 31, 2018, the group shot 2 police personnel who were trying to evacuate a body of a civilian believed to be murdered by the members of the group, according to the police.
Currently the members of the group decreased to about 10 people from 36 when about 2,000 police and soldiers started a military operation on the group in 2016, according to presidential chief of staff Moeldoko.
