Thousands of Indonesian elite soldiers sent to hunt for Santoso in the forest

Thousands of Indonesian Military (TNI) special forces officers have been deployed to Poso, Central Sulawesi, to join the manhunt for East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) leader Santoso.

The elite troops joined police units, such as the Mobile Brigade and counterterrorism unit Densus 88, that had earlier joined Operation Tinombala.

The soldiers arrived in Palu and Poso from Jakarta on board Indonesian Air Force planes and then continued their journey to Poso by car, while others arrived on naval ships directly from Surabaya to Poso.

Two TNI Soldiers Among Seven Arrested for Alleged Abduction of Malaysian Businessman

Jakarta. Two Indonesian Military, or TNI, soldiers and an ex-police officer were allegedly involved in the abduction of a Malaysian businessman in Jakarta which reportedly stemmed from a failed business venture.

The three are among seven people arrested over the kidnapping of Malaysian national Sahlan bin Bandan earlier this month.

Sahlan was abducted after agreeing to meet the assailants at a McDonald's outlet in Cibubur, East Jakarta on July 15.

Philippine Army to conduct drills with Indonesia, Malaysia

THE PHILIPPINE Army is conducting two sets of separate bilateral military drills this month with Indonesia and Malaysia, in a bid to enhance the interoperability of their militaries and develop anti-insurgency strategies.

The annual bilateral exercise between the Philippine Army and the Malaysian Army, dubbed the Training Activity Land Malaysia-Philippines (MALPHI), is scheduled from Sept. 9 to 21 at the Peacekeeping Operations Center in Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac.

TNI to Set up Joint Special Operations Force Command

Jakarta, May 5 -- The Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) plans to set up a joint special operations unit comprising elite forces of the army, navy and air force. 

"What we are going to set up is not a special force but a joint special operations command," TNI Chief General Moeldoko said after dedicating a TNI museum at the TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Tuesday. 

Battle of Plaman Mapu Remembered

April 28 -- Fifty years on, veteran Paratroopers have returned to the scene of a battle in Borneo to remember those who lost their lives.

The Battle of Plaman Mapu, 50 years ago yesterday (27 April 1965), saw 36 members of B Company 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment (2 PARA), on operations in Borneo, defend their company location from 400 elite Indonesian soldiers who attacked the camp on the Malay border with Indonesia in a dawn raid.